Neuroscience
Uncovering the degenerative basis of Parkinson's disease
Northwestern investigators have discovered the molecular signature of a subset of dopaminergic neurons with an increased vulnerability to degeneration.
Dec 13, 2021
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Page 3 - News tagged with substantia nigra
Genetics
Gene therapy boosts Parkinson's disease drug benefits
In late-stage Parkinson's disease, the drug levodopa becomes less effective in treating symptoms because of the inexorable loss of dopamine-releasing neurons. But a new Northwestern Medicine preclinical study shows a gene ...
Nov 3, 2021
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Psychology & Psychiatry
Identifying a neural circuit involved in how pain modulates dopamine neurons
The neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) has several important functions. For instance, it known to play a role in how we feel pleasure, as well as in our ability to concentrate on everyday task, maintain focus, and learn specific ...
Medical research
Evidence for a neuroprotective effect from transcription factor BCL11A
The neurotransmitter dopamine influences the activity of a wide variety of brain areas. A deficiency of this substance can have drastic consequences: The death of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the substantia nigra—a ...
Sep 14, 2021
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Neuroscience
Mechanism of abnormal movements induced by drug treatment of Parkinson's disease
Many people with Parkinson's disease develop abnormal movements called L-DOPA induced dyskinesia, a major side effect of long-term medication. The mechanism underlying this side effect has been unknown. In this study, researchers ...
Apr 8, 2021
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Psychology & Psychiatry
Increased risk of Parkinson's disease in patients with schizophrenia
A new study conducted at the University of Turku, Finland, shows that patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder have an increased risk of Parkinson's disease later in life. The increased risk may be due to alterations ...
Jan 15, 2021
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Parkinson's & Movement disorders
Artificial enzyme may be first step toward treatment for Parkinson's disease
A growing body of research has shown that misshapen and misfolded alpha-synuclein, the protein culprit behind Parkinson's disease and its characteristics, travels from the gut to the brain, where it spreads and sticks together ...
Jan 5, 2021
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Psychology & Psychiatry
Neuroscientists find that isolation provokes brain activity similar to that seen during hunger cravings
Since the coronavirus pandemic began in the spring, many people have only seen their close friends and loved ones during video calls, if at all. A new study from MIT finds that the longings we feel during this kind of social ...
Nov 23, 2020
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Neuroscience
Researchers pursue 'hidden pathology' to explain fatigue in multiple sclerosis
Up to 60 percent of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) report that fatigue is the disease's most debilitating symptom. And yet, fatigue remains one of MS's mysteries—despite its prevalence and significance, the root ...
Aug 27, 2020
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Medical research
Jumping genes help make neurons in a dish
The process of making functional brain cells in a lab dish requires the precise activation of selfish genetic elements known as LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposons. The finding, from researchers at KAUST, could lead to safer and ...
Mar 26, 2020
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