Parkinson’s disease, the second most common neurodenegerative disorder, affects roughly 1% of people over 60 years old. It is characterized by a loss of dopamine-producing neurons in a region of the brain that regulates movement and coordination. For most cases of Parkinson’s disease, the underlying cause is unknown but is thought to comprise both geneticContinueContinue reading “A possible cause of Parkinson’s disease”
Tag Archives: nervous system
Microglia meddle in neural circuitry
Microglia are the nervous system’s exclusive immune cells. In a resting state, they resemble long-legged spiders, but when confronted with pathogens or injury, they retract their appendages and balloon into round blobs that engulf and remove the pathogens and other cellular debris. They also eliminate damaged synapses. “The idea that [microglia] can clean up brainContinueContinue reading “Microglia meddle in neural circuitry”
Primate model brings new hope for stroke treatment
Despite much promising animal research on protecting the brain after stroke, no treatments have yet proven to be effective in humans. This disconnect has contributed to both a lack of confidence in the relevance of animal models for certain types of medical research and a growing concern that stroke-related brain damage may not be avoidableContinueContinue reading “Primate model brings new hope for stroke treatment”
Prions cross the species barrier
Prions are abnormal proteins whose accumulation in brain tissues can cause disease in their hosts. Prion diseases occur in many different species, and some can be transmitted between species. For example, variant Creutzfeld-Jakob disease occurs in humans after exposure to the cow prion disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (or mad cow disease). Generally, such inter-species transmissionContinueContinue reading “Prions cross the species barrier”
Appetite of a sea slug
Appetite can be defined as a craving that is fulfilled via consumption, such as hunger. A new report from Keiko Hirayama and Rhanor Gillette (University of Illinois, Urbana) describes appetite at the neural-network level and shows how it controls a decision-making circuit in the sea slug Pleurobranchaea californica. Lab Anim. (NY) 41, 54 (2012). viewContinueContinue reading “Appetite of a sea slug”
Synapse dysfunction linked to mental illness
Although mental illnesses are primarily considered human disorders, investigators have attempted to model certain aspects of these disorders in animals to facilitate study of the underlying mechanisms. In such studies, researchers have noted that gene mutations can elicit certain abnormal behaviors in rodents that are very similar to isolated symptoms of mental illness in humans.ContinueContinue reading “Synapse dysfunction linked to mental illness”
Passive spatial learning in rats
Results of a new study by scientists at Ruhr University Bochum (Germany) suggest that passive viewing of spatial information (such as on television or computer screens) can activate learning mechanisms and may interfere with consolidation of information learned via active exploration. Anne Kemp and Denise Manahan-Vaughan, who carried out the study, speculate that increasing useContinueContinue reading “Passive spatial learning in rats”
Easing epilepsy associated with glioma
People with primary brain tumors called gliomas frequently suffer from epileptic seizures whose underlying cause is poorly understood. A research team from University of Alabama at Birmingham led by Harald Sontheimer sought to investigate the cause by recapitulating the seizures in female CB17 severe combined immunodeficient mice. Lab Anim. (NY) 40, 332 (2011). view fullContinueContinue reading “Easing epilepsy associated with glioma”
They may laugh, but can they count?
Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), or laughing hyenas, live in complex clans in which subgroups form and dissolve frequently and inter-group conflicts are common. This type of social structure is believed by some researchers to encourage the development of cognitive skills and has led them to wonder about cognition in hyenas. Sarah Benson-Amram (Michigan State University,ContinueContinue reading “They may laugh, but can they count?”
Sniffing out the cause of seizures
Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in children age 2–10 years. Childhood epilepsies are characterized by seizures that remit completely after age 10. The disorders are genetically complex, and little is known about the genetic underpinnings of seizure development or remission. Epilepsy syndromes are also common in dogs, especially in certain breeds. A researchContinueContinue reading “Sniffing out the cause of seizures”
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