Bill Nye is back in his lab with NAF and Biogen—breaking down the science of Friedreich Ataxia in a new video series. WATCH NOW
Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS) is a condition where cognitive and emotional abilities are affected due to cerebellar damage. Historically, the cerebellum was identified as the part of the brain involved in movement and balance, however, CCAS discovery has significantly extended its role in cognition and emotional regulation. The cerebellar Read More…
Written by Allison Hilger, PhD, CCC-SLP Edited by Celeste Suart, PhD Did you know cerebellar ataxia affects how speech sounds more than how it’s understood? Learn why speech naturalness matters. Have you ever heard someone speak in a way that sounds a bit unnatural, even if you can understand them Read More…
RFC1 is a gene that encodes for replication factor C subunit 1, a component of the protein replication factor C (RFC), which plays an important role in DNA synthesis. RFC recruits DNA polymerase, the protein that assembles the building blocks of DNA, to where the DNA needs to be made. Read More…
Written by Katerina Pliatsika Edited by Hannah K Shorrock, PhD Additional proteins which interact with ATXN1 contribute to toxicity in a SCA1 mouse model. In neurodegenerative diseases, a problematic gene and its resulting protein play a crucial role in the selective loss of brain cells. However, a fundamental question remains unanswered: Read More…
Written by: Sophia Salemi, BS Edited by: Celeste Suart, PhD Article highlight: Scientists have discovered that changes in the POU4F1 gene can cause a very rare hereditary ataxia syndrome with first symptoms beginning in childhood. A new patient registry is now open, giving families the opportunity to join a growing community Read More…
How do you accurately measure something as nuanced as coordination? For clinicians assessing ataxia, this question has driven the development of various rating scales. The Brief Ataxia Rating Scale is one of the scales developed. It is a clinical tool that assesses ataxia severity. However, it is simplified to be Read More…
BDNF stands for Brain-derived neurotrophic factor. BDNF is a protein found in the brain that belongs to the group of neurotrophic proteins. Neurotrophic means that these proteins promote the survival and growth of new neurons during brain development and the survival and function of existing neurons in the adult brain. Read More…
CACNA1A is a gene that contains the genetic information needed to make a transcription factor and a part of a calcium channel. The gene is mainly expressed in the brain and is pivotal to various neuronal functions such as muscle contractions, memory, learning, and gene expression. Mutations in CACNA1A has Read More…
Written by Alexandra Putka Edited by Dr. Pragya Goel Feeling tired? You’re not alone. Fatigue is a common symptom of Spinocerebellar ataxias and affects quality of life. Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are characterized by various symptoms, but fatigue is not often included on this list. Fatigue is clinically defined as difficulty Read More…
Electromyography, or EMG, is a technique for measuring the electrical activity of skeletal muscles—the muscles that connect to bones and support movement. When our muscles contract, the tissue produces tiny electrical signals. This electrical activity results from the conduction of specialized peripheral nerves (nerves located outside of the brain or Read More…
