https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/mad_cow_disease/ Learn all about mad cow disease, TSE, and the prions that cause the disease. Current science articles on symptoms, prevention and more. en-us Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:28:23 EDT Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:28:23 EDT 60 https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/mad_cow_disease/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260306145621.htm Researchers have discovered a new way to increase a key brain protein damaged in Rett syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects thousands of children worldwide. Early studies in mice and patient-derived cells show the approach can restore normal brain cell function, raising hopes for future therapies. Fri, 06 Mar 2026 21:18:09 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260306145621.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122073623.htm Alzheimer’s may be driven far more by genetics than previously thought, with one gene playing an outsized role. Researchers found that up to nine in ten cases could be linked to the APOE gene — even including a common version once considered neutral. The discovery reshapes how scientists think about risk and prevention. It also highlights a major opportunity for new treatments aimed at a single biological pathway. Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:16:38 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122073623.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034130.htm New research suggests that consistent aerobic exercise can help keep your brain biologically younger. Adults who exercised regularly for a year showed brains that appeared nearly a year younger than those who didn’t change their habits. The study focused on midlife, a critical window when prevention may offer long-term benefits. Even small shifts in brain age could add up over decades. Thu, 22 Jan 2026 01:51:37 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034130.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260116035348.htm Researchers have identified OTULIN, an immune-regulating enzyme, as a key trigger of tau buildup in the brain. When OTULIN was disabled, tau vanished from neurons and brain cells remained healthy. The findings challenge long-held assumptions about tau’s necessity and highlight a promising new path for fighting Alzheimer’s and brain aging. Scientists now believe OTULIN may act as a master switch for inflammation and age-related brain decline. Fri, 16 Jan 2026 03:53:48 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260116035348.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260111214444.htm A large genetic screen has revealed how stem cells transform into brain cells, exposing hundreds of genes that make this process possible. Among the discoveries is PEDS1, a gene now linked to a previously unknown neurodevelopmental disorder in children. When PEDS1 does not work properly, brain growth and nerve cell formation are impaired. The findings help explain how early genetic changes can shape brain development and disease. Sun, 11 Jan 2026 21:49:42 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260111214444.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251224032354.htm Alzheimer’s has long been considered irreversible, but new research challenges that assumption. Scientists discovered that severe drops in the brain’s energy supply help drive the disease—and restoring that balance can reverse damage, even in advanced cases. In mouse models, treatment repaired brain pathology, restored cognitive function, and normalized Alzheimer’s biomarkers. The results offer fresh hope that recovery may be possible. Wed, 24 Dec 2025 10:14:26 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251224032354.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250829022829.htm Harvard scientists have uncovered that lithium, a naturally occurring element in the brain, may be the missing piece in understanding Alzheimer’s. Their decade-long research shows that lithium depletion—caused by amyloid plaques binding to it—triggers early brain changes that lead to memory loss. By testing new lithium compounds that evade plaque capture, they reversed Alzheimer’s-like damage and restored memory in mice at doses far lower than those used in psychiatric treatments. Fri, 29 Aug 2025 02:57:32 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250829022829.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250803233111.htm Your brain has its own elite defense team — and new research shows these "guardian" cells might be the real battleground for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and stroke. Scientists discovered that most genetic risks linked to these diseases act not in neurons, but in the blood vessels and immune cells that form the blood-brain barrier. Mon, 04 Aug 2025 23:41:01 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250803233111.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529140137.htm Humans and mice share persistent brain-activity patterns in response to adverse sensory experience, scientists find, opening a window to our emotions and, perhaps, neuropsychiatric disorders. Thu, 29 May 2025 14:01:37 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529140137.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250521124115.htm Research teams have created a versatile set of gene delivery systems that can reach different neural cell types in the human brain and spinal cord with exceptional accuracy. These delivery systems are a significant step toward future precise gene therapy to the brain that could safely control errant brain activity with high precision. In contrast, current therapies for brain disorders mostly treat only symptoms. Wed, 21 May 2025 12:41:15 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250521124115.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428221213.htm To help achieve more precise control of gene therapy, engineers have designed a new control circuit that can keep gene expression levels within a target range. The method could be used to deliver genes that could help treat diseases including Fragile X syndrome. Mon, 28 Apr 2025 22:12:13 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428221213.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428220427.htm Prions transmit their abnormally folded shape onto other proteins. Researchers designed a synthetic fragment of the tau protein that exhibits prion-like behavior. Misfolded tau proteins are the hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. Study revealed crucial role of water organization in the tau misfolding process. Mon, 28 Apr 2025 22:04:27 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428220427.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250425113453.htm A new study found that a gene recently recognized as a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease is actually a cause of it, due to its previously unknown secondary function that triggers a pathway that disrupts how cells in the brain turn genes on and off. Fri, 25 Apr 2025 11:34:53 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250425113453.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250409173116.htm In a new study, researchers created an AI model of the mouse visual cortex that predicts neuronal responses to visual images. Wed, 09 Apr 2025 17:31:16 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250409173116.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250321121306.htm Aging compromises the lymphatic vessels surrounding the brain, disabling waste drainage from the brain and impacting cognitive function. Researchers boosted lymphatic vessel integrity in old mice and found improvements in their memory compared with old mice without rejuvenated lymphatic vessels. Fri, 21 Mar 2025 12:13:06 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250321121306.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250224155058.htm A new artificial intelligence model measures how fast a patient's brain is aging and could be a powerful new tool for understanding, preventing and treating cognitive decline and dementia. Mon, 24 Feb 2025 15:50:58 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250224155058.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250214133100.htm Recent research takes aim at the a variant in gene SCN1B, which causes a severe form of developmental epileptic encephalopathy. Fri, 14 Feb 2025 13:31:00 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250214133100.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250211134140.htm A new study has discovered in mouse models that genes associated with repairing mismatched DNA are critical in eliciting damages to neurons that are most vulnerable in Huntington's disease and triggering downstream pathologies and motor impairment, shedding light on disease mechanisms and potential new ways to develop therapies. Tue, 11 Feb 2025 13:41:40 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250211134140.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250128123830.htm Researchers have developed two simple, easy-to-deliver sessions to improve the wellbeing of staff in pediatric critical care (PCC) units in UK hospitals. Tue, 28 Jan 2025 12:38:30 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250128123830.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250122125755.htm Using computational models, the researchers studied how the brain's reward-learning system functions in those with depression, especially among individuals experiencing anhedonia, the inability to feel pleasure. By analyzing dopamine-linked responses, they identified unique brain activity patterns that could help predict who is likely to recover. Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:57:55 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250122125755.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250116133442.htm Scientists have discovered a surprising mechanism by which the inherited genetic mutation known to cause Huntington's disease leads to the death of brain cells. The findings change the understanding of the fatal neurodegenerative disorder and suggest potential ways to delay or even prevent it. For 30 years, researchers have known that Huntington's is caused by an inherited mutation in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene, but they didn't know how the mutation causes brain cell death. A new study reveals that the inherited mutation doesn't itself harm cells. Rather, the mutation is innocuous for decades but slowly morphs into a highly toxic form that then quickly kills the cell. Thu, 16 Jan 2025 13:34:42 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250116133442.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250115165148.htm Researchers have described the neurodegeneration that occurs in the nervous system of the bowel in Batten disease, a rare and fatal genetic condition. In their latest study, a team showed that gene therapy to the bowel in mice modeling Batten disease reduced symptoms and extended lifespan. Wed, 15 Jan 2025 16:51:48 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250115165148.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250114181702.htm Researchers have developed a gene-editing treatment for prion disease that extends lifespan by about 50 percent in a mouse model of the fatal neurodegenerative condition. The treatment, which uses base editing to make a single-letter change in DNA, reduced levels of the disease-causing prion protein in the brain by as much as 60 percent. The work demonstrates that lowering levels of the prion protein improves lifespan in animals that have been infected with a human version of the protein. Tue, 14 Jan 2025 18:17:02 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250114181702.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250108143733.htm Unstable proteins are the main drivers of many different heritable diseases, according to a new study, including genetic disorders responsible for the formation of cataracts, and different types of rare neurological, developmental and muscle-wasting diseases. Unstable proteins are more likely to misfold and degrade, causing them to stop working or accumulate in harmful amounts inside cells. Wed, 08 Jan 2025 14:37:33 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250108143733.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250106133207.htm Protein aggregation is typical of various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and prion diseases such as Creutzfeld-Jakob disease. A research team has now used new in vitro and cell culture models to show that a lipid anchor on the outer membrane of nerve cells inhibits the aggregation of the prion protein. Mon, 06 Jan 2025 13:32:07 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250106133207.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241203164619.htm What do spiders and Alzheimer's disease have in common? A team of researchers may have just uncovered the answer. Researchers from have made a groundbreaking connection between brain 'waste canals' and Alzheimer's disease -- a discovery inspired by studying spider brains. Their findings offer a new perspective on the cellular mechanisms behind neurodegeneration and the development of hallmark features like amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Tue, 03 Dec 2024 16:46:19 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241203164619.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241113161027.htm The Huntington's disease (HD) mutation eventually causes a fatal brain disease in adulthood, but a new study finds that early in life, children with the HD mutation have bigger brains and higher IQ than children without the mutation. Wed, 13 Nov 2024 16:10:27 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241113161027.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241031151722.htm A team of doctors and scientists have identified the cause of a rare disorder involving intellectual disability and brain malformations. The team found a link between the child's neurological symptoms and a genetic change that affects how proteins are properly folded within cells, providing the parents with a molecular diagnosis and identifying an entirely new type of genetic disorder. Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:17:22 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241031151722.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241031151720.htm Research has provided compelling evidence that could solve a fundamental mystery in the makeup of fibrils that play a role in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:17:20 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241031151720.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241031124556.htm A long-standing goal of neuroscience is to understand how molecules and cellular structures on a microscale give rise to communication between brain regions at the macroscale. A study now identifies, for the first time, hundreds of brain proteins that explain inter-individual differences in functional connectivity and structural covariation in the human brain. Thu, 31 Oct 2024 12:45:56 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241031124556.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241023171553.htm By creating personalized brain 'organoids' in the lab, scientists showed how microRNAs impact brain development, and demonstrate how one drug can reverse critical cellular signs of autism. Wed, 23 Oct 2024 17:15:53 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241023171553.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241016120014.htm Nager syndrome (NS) is an extremely rare disease that causes developmental problems and anomalies in facial bone structures and limbs. While the causative gene is known, its underlying mechanisms remain obscure. Researchers from Japan employed genetically engineered zebrafish and found that the mutation in the gene that causes NS, suppresses the Fgf8 levels. This, in turn, affects the expression pattern of a critical cell population called neural crest cells in facial development. Wed, 16 Oct 2024 12:00:14 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241016120014.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241010124901.htm A new American Heart Association scientific statement suggests addressing cardiovascular health earlier in life may reduce the risk of stroke and help preserve thinking and memory later in life. Thu, 10 Oct 2024 12:49:01 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241010124901.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/09/240927173532.htm The most common cause of inherited prion diseases is the E200K mutation of the prion protein (PrP). It is often thought that this mutation causes disease by making PrP more susceptible to misfolding into a pathogenic shape (PrPSc). However, new research has found that the architecture of neuron-to-neuron contact sites, known as synapses, is altered in neurons expressing this mutant PrP in the absence of PrPSc. This suggests that a loss or change in PrP function may contribute to the disease phenotype. Fri, 27 Sep 2024 17:35:32 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/09/240927173532.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/09/240913131127.htm Scientists have developed new potential therapies that selectively remove aggregated tau proteins, which are associated with Alzheimer's disease, and improve symptoms of neurodegeneration in mice. Fri, 13 Sep 2024 13:11:27 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/09/240913131127.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240822125933.htm Researchers have implicated a new gene in the progression of Huntington's disease in a brain organoid model. The gene may contribute to brain abnormalities much earlier than previously thought. Thu, 22 Aug 2024 12:59:33 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240822125933.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240807225515.htm Bioengineers have developed a noninvasive tool to measure gene expression and gene therapy delivery in specific brain regions using ultrasound. Wed, 07 Aug 2024 22:55:15 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240807225515.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240806163720.htm Scientists use DNA methylation patterns as a roadmap for identifying causes of severe epilepsies in children. Tue, 06 Aug 2024 16:37:20 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240806163720.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240724123012.htm Genomics and lab studies reveal numerous findings, including a key role for Reelin amid neuronal vulnerability, and for choline and antioxidants in sustaining cognition. Wed, 24 Jul 2024 12:30:12 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240724123012.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240715135744.htm Liquid-liquid phase separation is not a precursor to formation of amyloid fibrils, a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease, shows study. Rather, the formation of protein into liquid droplets may help to dissolve aggregated protein. The study deepens our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases linked to protein aggregation and could help develop new therapies. Mon, 15 Jul 2024 13:57:44 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240715135744.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240712222141.htm Researchers have used gene editing to restore hearing in adult mice with a type of inherited hearing loss. They showed that shutting down a damaged copy of a gene called a microRNA (miRNA) enabled the animals to regain hearing. The approach may eventually lead to potential treatments for inherited hearing loss in people. Fri, 12 Jul 2024 22:21:41 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240712222141.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240710130805.htm Researchers have built the first-ever molecular atlas of the human brain vasculature at single-cell resolution, spanning from early development to adulthood and through disease stages such as brain tumors and brain vascular malformations. Wed, 10 Jul 2024 13:08:05 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240710130805.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240628125229.htm Researchers have reported finding major differences between postmortem and living prefrontal cortex brain tissues as they relate to one of the most abundant RNA modifications in the brain, known as adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing. Fri, 28 Jun 2024 12:52:29 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240628125229.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240522130338.htm The clumping of proteins is at the root of a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders that affect the brain such as Alzheimer's and dementia. Researchers have now developed a new tool that can help find and study these tiny protein clumps. The results pave the way for a greater understanding of the body's smallest building blocks and better treatment of diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Wed, 22 May 2024 13:03:38 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240522130338.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240520122711.htm Major advance promises to accelerate the understanding and improved treatment of a wide range of brain disorders, including stroke, cerebral vascular disorders, brain cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington disease, Parkinson's disease, and other neurodegenerative conditions. Mon, 20 May 2024 12:27:11 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240520122711.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240516160501.htm In an important step toward more effective gene therapies for brain diseases, researchers have engineered a gene-delivery vehicle that uses a human protein to efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier and deliver a disease-relevant gene to the brain in mice expressing the human protein. Because the vehicle binds to a well-studied protein in the blood-brain barrier, the scientists say it has a good chance at working in patients. Thu, 16 May 2024 16:05:01 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240516160501.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240515122734.htm Prions are the abnormal, pathogenic agents that are transmissible and are able to induce abnormal folding of specific normal cellular proteins. Prion disease is an umbrella term for a group of fatal and currently untreatable neurodegenerative diseases that not only affect humans, but also wild and captive animals. These diseases include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or 'mad cow disease'), and chronic wasting disease (CWD) affecting deer, elk and moose. Wed, 15 May 2024 12:27:34 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240515122734.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240515122717.htm A recent study has found that an ion transporter protein that regulates the pH of specific brain cells can repair the blood-brain barrier and restore normal brain function after ischemic stroke. The study has revealed novel and specific therapeutic targets for ischemic stroke and related brain conditions for which no targeted treatments exist currently. Wed, 15 May 2024 12:27:17 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240515122717.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240424160244.htm A thin film that combines an electrode grid and LEDs can both track and produce a visual representation of the brain's activity in real-time during surgery -- a huge improvement over the current state of the art. The device is designed to provide neurosurgeons visual information about a patient's brain to monitor brain states during surgical interventions to remove brain lesions including tumors and epileptic tissue. Wed, 24 Apr 2024 16:02:44 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240424160244.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240411212755.htm When the brain has trouble filtering incoming information and predicting what's likely to happen, psychosis can result, research shows. Thu, 11 Apr 2024 21:27:55 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240411212755.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240411130149.htm New hypothesis paper builds on a growing scientific consensus that Parkinson's disease route to the brain starts in either the nose or the gut and proposes that environmental toxicants are the likely source. Thu, 11 Apr 2024 13:01:49 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240411130149.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240322145434.htm Single-cell gene expression patterns in the brain motor and frontal cortex, and evidence from follow-up experiments, reveal many shared cellular and molecular similarities that could be targeted for potential treatment. Fri, 22 Mar 2024 14:54:34 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240322145434.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/02/240228115509.htm Researchershave found that brain cell activity during sleep is responsible for propelling fluid into, through and out of the brain, cleaning it of debris. Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:55:09 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/02/240228115509.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240129122459.htm Five cases of Alzheimer's disease are believed to have arisen as a result of medical treatments decades earlier, reports a team researchers. Mon, 29 Jan 2024 12:24:59 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240129122459.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240126171639.htm Researchers have created a novel learning-based framework that will help Alzheimer's patients accurately pinpoint where they are within the disease-development spectrum. This will allow them to best predict the timing of the later stages, making it easier to plan for future care as the disease advances. Fri, 26 Jan 2024 17:16:39 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240126171639.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240111162625.htm Restricting calories is known to improve health and increase lifespan, but much of how it does so remains a mystery, especially in regard to how it protects the brain. Scientists have now uncovered a role for a gene called OXR1 that is necessary for the lifespan extension seen with dietary restriction and is essential for healthy brain aging. Thu, 11 Jan 2024 16:26:25 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240111162625.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231213112909.htm Researchers have created a complete cell atlas of a whole mammalian brain. This atlas serves as a map for the mouse brain, describing the type, location, and molecular information of more than 32 million cells and providing information on connectivity between these cells. Wed, 13 Dec 2023 11:29:09 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231213112909.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231211114600.htm Researchers have identified a potential treatment target for a genetic type of epilepsy.   Mon, 11 Dec 2023 11:46:00 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231211114600.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231204135213.htm Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the deposition of clumped proteins in the brain and progressive neuronal cell death. Although the causal link between protein aggregates and neurodegeneration is clear, it is still unclear in what way misfolded proteins trigger cell death. A team showed that misfolded prion proteins can inactivate the TDP-43 protein. Mon, 04 Dec 2023 13:52:13 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231204135213.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/11/231127132418.htm Hospital MRI scanners, using 3 Tesla magnets, provide poor spatial resolution in brain imaging. More recent 7T MRIs are better but used mainly in the rare research lab. Scientists have now supercharged the standard 7T scanner to improve the resolution by nearly a factor of 10 -- a 50-times improvement over standard 3T MRIs. The NexGen 7T can track signals through the brain and perhaps tie functional changes to brain maladies. Mon, 27 Nov 2023 13:24:18 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/11/231127132418.htm