Diseases of the Brain: Computer Model of Nerve Cells Provides Insights into Communication Problems
Thursday, November 13, 2014 · Posted by DZNE: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases
In diseases of the brain, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the neurons fail to communicate correctly with each other. As Bonn-based researchers of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) now report in the journal “Neuron“, these connectivity problems can be ascribed to alterations in the structure of the nerve cells. For their study, the scientists investigated diseased nerve cells using high precision methods and subsequently simulated their electrical properties on the computer.
Genetic legacy from the Ottoman Empire: Single mutation causes rare brain disorder
Thursday, April 24, 2014 · Posted by Yale University
An international team of researchers have identified a previously unknown neurodegenerative disorder and discovered it is caused by a single mutation in one individual born during the height of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey about 16 generations ago.The genetic cause of the rare disorder was discovered during a massive analysis of the individual genomes of thousands of Turkish children suffering from neurological disorders.