Intellectual disability due to Fragile X and Down syndromes involves similar molecular pathways report researchers in The EMBO Journal. The two disorders share disturbances in the molecular events that regulate the way nerve cells develop dendritic spines, the small extensions found on the surface of nerve cells that are crucial for communication in the brain.
In one of the first studies of its kind, UCLA researchers used a unique brain scan to assess the levels of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles — the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease — in adults with Down syndrome. Published in the June edition of the Archives of Neurology, the finding may offer an additional clinical tool […]
The healthy brain has balance of excitatory and inhibitory signals that stimulate activity but also keep it under control. Some brain diseases, like autism and Down’s syndrome, have too much inhibition, which impairs cognitive functions. Reducing inhibition appears to improve cognition, and it can restore juvenile plasticity in the adult brain, making it more adaptable. […]
The Scientist Research News Update for early December brings about fairly complex research articles with cancer, HIV/AIDS, immunology, and genetic themes. Plus, read up on research that details how scientists revisit an older theory that advocates a role for the immune system in cancer detection and elimination, genetic mutations identified in bacteria occur in a […]
Roulette William Smith, Ph.D. details a potentially ground breaking theory that purports to unravel the mystery surrounding the underlying causative factors of autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and a host of other mental and physical illnesses in his paper entitled, “Inferring an Autovirulent Epigenetic Etiology for the Autism Spectrum and Schizophrenia*.” Dr. Smith’s theory originated from […]
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