Researchers created a wide variety of motor neurons using human embryonic stem cells and a new technique. In previous research,... Read More
A study suggests that spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic neuromuscular disease in infants and children, results primarily from motor circuit dysfunction, not motor neuron or muscle cell dysfunction, as is commonly thought. In a second study, the researchers identified the molecular pathway in SMA that leads to problems with motor function. Read More
Researchers have identified a new genetic mutation for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), opening the door to future targeted therapies. Read More
A new finding turns one of the basics of neurobiology on its head, demonstrating that it is possible to turn one type of already differentiated neuron into another within the brain. Read More
A research team describes the entire network of brain cells that are connected to specific motor neurons controlling whisker muscles in newborn mice. A better understanding of such motor control circuits could help inform how human brains develop, potentially leading to new ways of restoring movement in people who suffer paralysis from brain injuries, or to the development of better prosthetics for limb replacement. Read More
Researchers electronically linked the brains of pairs of rats for the first time, enabling them to communicate directly to solve simple behavioral puzzles. A further test of this work successfully linked the brains of two animals thousands of miles apart - one in Durham, N.C., and one in Natal, Brazil. Read More
Researchers have identified mutations in a number of genes which could be associated with the development of spontaneously occurring cases of ALS, a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease in which motor neurons gradually cease to function. Read More
A new study finds slowdowns in the transport and delivery of proteins, nutrients and signaling molecules within nerve cells could contribute to the development of ALS. Read More
Performing post-mortem staging of the brains and spinal cord tissue of patients with ALS, researchers discover the neurodegenerative disease could progress from one start point in the CNS to other regions of the brain and spinal cord. Read More
By reducing the expression of the SOD1 gene, ALS onset and progression is slowed, a new study suggests. Read More
Researchers find the amino acid, BMAA, can be inserted into neuroproteins. This causes them to misfold and aggregate. BMAA has been detected in the brains of those with ALS. Read More
New research could help find a solution to slowing down the progression of motor neuron disease. Read More
