Researchers identified two genes that respond to age-related iron accumulation in the substantia nigra. Knockdown of these genes results in severely impairing the cellular tolerance for iron toxicity.
Aromatic turmerone, a compound derived from turmeric essential oil, and its derivatives directly affect dopamine neurons to generate neuroprotective properties in tissue culture models of Parkinson's disease.
A new map of the basal ganglia provides a blueprint of the structure of the brain region and reveals a new level of influence connected to this area.
Researchers have created an artificial enzyme that stops alpha-synuclein from spreading. The findings could have positive implications for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
New studies are set to explore how gene expression alters the brain's response to drug abuse, and to screen for genes that could help brain cells withstand Parkinson's disease.
Activity in the substantia nigra is similar following a day of social isolation as it is following a day of starvation.
The decline of striosomal activity in the brain may explain why people lose the motivation to learn as they age.
An examination of brainstems from children and young adults constantly exposed to air pollution reveals markers of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and motor neuron disease. Findings suggest air pollution poses risks of serious neurological damage from an early age.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, can infect human neural progenitor cells and brain organoids. The findings back previous research, finding coronavirus can infect the human brain.
Researchers administered PTB antisense oligonucleotide treatment directly to the midbrain of mice. In the mouse models exposed to the treatment, a small subset of astrocytes converted to neurons, increasing the number of neurons by 30%. Three months after treatment, mice were completely free of Parkinson's disease symptoms and remained in remission for the rest of their lives.
Neurons in the caudal pedunculopontine nucleus, an area of the brain that regulates motor coordination, switch neurotransmitters from acetylcholine to GABA as a result of exercise. The switch appears to provide feedback control that regulates motor coordination and skill learning.
Researchers have identified a comprehensive circuit mechanism that governs how emotional states can influence movement through connections in the basal ganglia. The mechanism represents a way in which emotional states relate to changes in action control in depression, anxiety, and OCD.
