Neurodegeneration – News and Features

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is adopting a new initiative to expand the use of innovative, human-based technologies such as organoids and organ-on-a-chip, while reducing animal use in research.

Researchers have uncovered the molecular mechanisms that cause a commonly prescribed antipsychotic drug to produce harmful side effects similar to Parkinson’s disease symptoms.

A study found that increasing physical activity in middle-aged adults can reduce Alzheimer's risk by lowering beta-amyloid accumulation in the brain. The research highlighted the benefits of even minimal exercise.

A new meta-study examines the brain regions affected by chronic sleep disorders and short-term sleep deprivation. Researchers found that chronic sleep disorders alter regions like the anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus.

A new machine learning algorithm excels at interpreting optical spectroscopy data of molecules, materials and disease biomarkers, potentially enabling faster and more precise medical diagnoses and sample analysis.

In a pilot study testing psilocybin therapy in Parkinson's patients, the participants experienced clinically significant improvements in mood, cognition and motor function that lasted for weeks after the drug was out of their systems.

Researchers have created the first synthetic fragment of tau protein that behaves like a prion. This synthetic fragment forms prion-like fibrils that propagate misfolding, advancing understanding of tau-related neurodegenerative diseases.

A research team has found molecular clues as to why some nerve cells die in dementia and not others, in a new study in fruit flies.

esearchers at USC have discovered a new brain mechanism that allows humans to rapidly switch between motor actions. This process does not involve stopping the initial movement, as previously believed.

New research shows that women transitioning into menopause who maintain adequate iron levels perform better on cognitive tasks. The study found no link between blood iron and brain iron accumulation.