The Ataxia Community Comes Together in Orlando April 9–11, 2026 for the Annual Ataxia Conference! LEARN MORE
Written by Dr. Pragya Goel Edited by Dr. Lauren Moore Research in mice shows that a specific cell population in the cerebellum maintains balance as we age. Falls due to imbalance are common and dangerous in the elderly, but what exact changes in the brain are responsible for this is Read More…
Written by Yujia Li Edited by Priscila Pereira Sena The discovery of first links between mitochondrial dysfunction and SCA6 progression offers new insights for potential treatments. What drives the progression of Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6)? While the exact mechanisms remain unclear, a study by Leung et al. suggests that Read More…
Written by Ross Pelzel Edited by Eder Xhako, PhD and Celeste Suart, PhD Alternative splicing produces different versions of proteins that arise from the same gene. In many neurodegenerative diseases, this process results in dysfunctional proteins that lead to disease symptoms. In Shorrock et al., the authors investigate how alternative Read More…
Written by Christina PengEdited by Larissa Nitschke, PhD Ever since the CAG expansion of the Ataxin-1 (ATXN1) gene has been identified as the cause of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), researchers have been on the hunt for the mechanism of the disease. How does this mutation cause SCA1? So far, Read More…
Disease-relevant research is often first conducted in animal models such as mice. This is done to investigate the underlying disease mechanisms and to test promising treatment strategies before moving into clinical studies. The parallel rod floor test is an assay to measure motor coordination difficulties in mice. In the case Read More…
Written by Rana Abdelhalim Edited by Dr. Spyros Petrakis Early BDNF delivery improved cognitive and motor deficits while ameliorating cerebellar pathology in a SCA1 mouse model. Cognitive impairment, slurred speech, difficulty with balance and walking— these are all symptoms of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). SCA1 is an inherited neurodegenerative Read More…
Escrito por Dr. Ambika TewariEditado por Dr. Larissa Nitschke Traduzido por Priscila Pereira Sena A atividade anormal das células nos núcleos cerebelares profundos e das células de Purkinje correlacionam com o início precoce de sintomas motores em um modelo de camundongo de SCA3 O cerebelo tem um papel estabelecido na Read More…
Written by Alexandra Putka Edited by Dr. Larissa Nitschke Profound gene changes in non-neuronal cells are revealed by a recent study in SCA1. The two major cell types of the brain are neurons and glia, yet you have probably heard little about glia, which outnumber neurons. The word glia comes Read More…
Picture of the Lim lab taken in May 2022. Left to right: Chris Lee, Benjamin Sanders, Kimberly Luttik, Dr. Janghoo Lim, Dr. Neha Gogia, Luhan Ni, Ashley Owens, Victor Olmos Principal Investigator: Janghoo Lim, PhD Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA Year Founded: 2010 What disease areas do you Read More…
Written by Alexandra Putka Edited by Dr. Hannah K Shorrock Improving neuron firing regularity rescued incoordination but not muscle weakness in a SCA1 mouse model. Spinocerebellar ataxias are characterized by problems within the cerebellum, the part of your brain responsible for balance, coordination, and walking. A central question within preclinical Read More…
