Bill Nye the Science Guy is speaking at the 2024 Annual Ataxia Conference! Register now. LEARN MORE!
Written by Sophia LeungEdited by Dr Hannah K Shorrock In SCA5, the N-terminus of β‑spectrin induces toxicity and therefore a new target for therapeutics to treat SCA5. The research group led by Dr. Adam Avery explored the roles a fragment of the β‑spectrin protein, the N-terminus, plays in SCA5. They Read More…
Speech not only consists of the words we say, but how we say them. That “how” is what is called prosody: the pitch, loudness, and timing of speech. The term prosody comes from the Greek word prosōidia meaning “song” or “melody.” Therefore, prosody is often viewed as the melody of speech. Read More…
Oligodendrocytes are a type of brain cell that play a crucial role in insulating neurons to facilitate efficient transmission of electrical signals. Similar to the rubber coating on cords, oligodendrocytes wrap around axons with a cholesterol-rich myelin structure, which speeds up the transmission of electrical impulses. Each oligodendrocyte can myelinate Read More…
Written by Dr. Celeste SuartEdited by Priscila Pereira Sena An international group of researchers developed a new tool for looking at large datasets of spinocerebellar ataxia clinical information. Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are the most common form of dominantly inherited ataxia worldwide. Since SCAs are rare diseases, it can be hard Read More…
The inferior olive is a beautifully squiggly structure found in the brainstem. The brainstem connects the spinal cord to the brain and contains three major regions: the midbrain, pons, and medulla. Within the medulla, there is an inferior olivary nucleus, or inferior olive, on each side. These inferior olives are Read More…
Written by Dr. Gülin ÖzEdited by Dr. Celeste Suart Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) detects brain changes before ataxia symptoms. The list of pharmaceutical companies that turned their attention to ataxias has been steadily increasing over the last decade. This is in large part thanks to exciting developments in gene Read More…
Written By Dr. Hannah K ShorrockEdited by Dr. Celeste Suart Accumulating DNA damage without being able to repair it may lead to a cascade of negative effects in SCA7, resulting in neuronal demise and death. Why do neurons in the cerebellum degenerate in spinocerebellar ataxia type 7? If scientists can Read More…
Meta-analysis refers to a research process. You might think of it as a ‘Cliff’s Notes’ summary that compiles, evaluates, and synthesizes all of the individual research reports that were completed by the others. Using statistics, a meta-analysis synthesizes the findings of multiple similar scientific studies to produce an overall result. Read More…
Written by Dr. Hannah K ShorrockEdited by Dr. Larissa Nitschke Differences in the lifetime risk of developing SCA8 are associated with the presence of interruptions in the ATXN8 repeat expansion. In most spinocerebellar ataxias caused by repeat expansions, everyone who carries a repeat expansion above a certain threshold will develop Read More…
The cortex has many folds, just like how an origami flower has many folds. This helps increase the brain surface area by tightly packing in neurons. “Origami Lotus Flowers” by Dominic’s pics is licensed under CC BY 2.0. The cerebral cortex, also called “the cortex,” is a highly organized layer of tissue that Read More…
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