AI SummaryThreats to child mental health, such as poverty, abuse, and pollution, were discussed by experts at a symposium at MIT, who stressed the importance of science and research in addressing these issues. The speakers highlighted various mechanisms that connect early life experiences to mental health problems, as well as interventions and programs aimed at… Continue reading From labs to the streets, experts work to defuse childhood threats to mental health
Tag: Neural Diseases and Disorders
40 Hz vibrations reduce Alzheimer’s pathology, symptoms in mouse models
AI SummaryEvidence from a new study conducted by MIT scientists demonstrates that noninvasive tactile stimulation at a frequency of 40 Hz can improve brain health and motor function in mice models of Alzheimer’s disease, while also reducing levels of phosphorylated tau protein, preventing neuron death, and reducing neural DNA damage. The study suggests that tactile… Continue reading 40 Hz vibrations reduce Alzheimer’s pathology, symptoms in mouse models
[In Context] Kerstin Hellwig: educating on multiple sclerosis and pregnancy
AI SummaryKerstin Hellwig, a clinician-scientist, had various aspirations as a child before settling on becoming a doctor. She now specializes in multiple sclerosis and pregnancy. Hellwig is the chair and founder of the German multiple sclerosis and pregnancy registry and has a private practice.When Kerstin Hellwig was 3 years old, she wanted to become a… Continue reading [In Context] Kerstin Hellwig: educating on multiple sclerosis and pregnancy
Scientists discover how mutations in a language gene produce speech deficits
AI SummaryMutations in the gene Foxp2 have been linked to speech disorders, specifically apraxia. Researchers from MIT and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University conducted a study on mice and found that these mutations disrupt the formation of dendrites and neuronal synapses in the brain, affecting the ability to produce high-frequency sounds. The mutations prevent… Continue reading Scientists discover how mutations in a language gene produce speech deficits
Neuroscientists identify cells especially vulnerable to Alzheimer’s
AI SummaryNeurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease affects different brain regions unequally, with one of the first regions to show damage being the mammillary body in the hypothalamus. MIT researchers have identified a subset of neurons in the mammillary body that are most susceptible to neurodegeneration and hyperactivity, which leads to memory impairments. The findings suggest that… Continue reading Neuroscientists identify cells especially vulnerable to Alzheimer’s
A new peptide may hold potential as an Alzheimer’s treatment
AI SummaryMIT neuroscientists have discovered a peptide that can reverse neurodegeneration and other symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease by interfering with an enzyme called CDK5 that is overactive in Alzheimer’s patients. In mice, the peptide led to reductions in neurodegeneration, DNA damage, and improvements in cognitive abilities, leading researchers to believe it could serve as a… Continue reading A new peptide may hold potential as an Alzheimer’s treatment
Researchers map brain cell changes in Alzheimer’s disease
AI SummaryResearchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have developed a new method called STARmap PLUS to study the relationship between protein buildup and the death of neurons in Alzheimer’s disease using a mouse model. The technique allows for the simultaneous mapping of gene expression and the spatial distribution of proteins in intact… Continue reading Researchers map brain cell changes in Alzheimer’s disease
Portable cap can measure cognition with pulsed laser light
AI SummaryTo address the challenges of measuring brain activity, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and Boston University are developing a high-performance brain imaging method called time-domain diffuse correlation spectroscopy (TD-DCS) that uses fiber optics to transmit laser light to and from the brain. By measuring the rate of fluctuation of the returning… Continue reading Portable cap can measure cognition with pulsed laser light
How Huntington’s disease affects different neurons
AI SummaryIn patients with Huntington’s disease, neurodegeneration of two distinct cell populations in the striatum, the striosomes and the matrix, contribute to motor impairments and mood disorders, respectively. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers at MIT have mapped these cell populations and their vulnerability to Huntington’s disease, hoping to develop new treatments that target specific cells.… Continue reading How Huntington’s disease affects different neurons
New technologies reveal cross-cutting breakdowns in Alzheimer’s disease
After decades of fundamental scientific and drug discovery research, Alzheimer’s disease has remained inscrutable and incurable, with a bare minimum of therapeutic progress. But in a new review article in Nature Neuroscience, MIT scientists write that by employing the new research capability of single-cell profiling, the field has rapidly achieved long-sought insights with strong potential for both… Continue reading New technologies reveal cross-cutting breakdowns in Alzheimer’s disease