The National Institutes of Health has been integral to scientific progress in treating countless human diseases. Without its support, patients will ultimately pay the price.
The transplantation of astrocytes — a type of brain cell as common as neurons — may provide hope of treatments or cures of some neurodegenerative disorders.
Images in the top row show activity of the default mode network (a major brain network supporting cognition) in rugby players after a season of play. They show hyperactivity of the network. The bottom row shows the same network for swimmers and rowers who had the same season of competition, but are non-contact athletes. The default mode network appears normal.
(Ravi Menon, Western Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping)
Concussion is considered a ‘mild’ injury, but effects can last a lifetime, especially with multiple impacts. Understanding their long-term effects can help predict who might develop neurodegeneration.
Mitochondria actively divide, multiply and move around in your cells.
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As the powerhouse of the cell, mitochondria lie at the intersection of many essential biochemical pathways. When they go awry, neurodegenerative diseases can result.
Aging is inevitable, but there are some ways to slow down decline.
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Targeting the key players that help your body regulate metabolism could reverse disease progression, including cognitive decline related to Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. Here’s why knowing about the diversity of dementia matters.
People with ALS gradually lose the ability to perform voluntary movements due to a loss of communication between the nervous system and the muscles.
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A new study shows that it is possible to reduce the symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by reducing the inflammation caused by immune cells in the brain.
Multiple gene variants are linked to Parkinson’s disease, but which ones are the most relevant?
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No treatments are currently available to cure Parkinson’s disease. Better understanding the genetic foundation of this condition can help researchers find ways to slow or halt its progression.
Chronic wasting disease has been detected in two deer samples in British Columbia.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
B.C. has operated a surveillance program for over 20 years to detect chronic wasting disease, a fatal condition with no cure or vaccine. The disease has now been detected in deer in the province.
Sleep has been an underappreciated strategy for gaining an edge over an opponent at any level of athletic competition.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Studies show college athletes sleeping less than 7 hours per night are almost twice as likely to be injured when compared with athletes sleeping more than 8 hours.
The experimental methods available today allow us to break the brain down into its elementary components in order to understand its functions and dysfunctions.
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Montréal is home to one of the world’s largest brain banks, the Douglas-Bell Canada Brain Bank, where discoveries about different neurological and psychiatric diseases are made.