Neurodegenerative disease

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Neurodegenerative disease (Greek νέυρο-, néuro-, "nerval" and Latin dēgenerāre, "to decline" or "to worsen") is a condition in which cells of the brain and spinal cord are lost. The brain and spinal cord are composed of neurons that do different functions such as controlling movements, processing sensory information, and making decisions. Cells of the brain and spinal cord are not readily regenerated en masse, so excessive damage can be devastating. Neurodegenerative diseases result from deterioration of neurons or their myelin sheath which over time will lead to dysfunction and disabilities resulting from this.

Some sources limit the term "degenerative" to conditions primarily affecting gray matter that are not associated with a obvious inciting event.

For more information about Neurodegenerative disease, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with neurodegenerative disorder

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Drug shows promise for Huntington's disease

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Feb 08, 2010 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

An early stage clinical trial of the experimental drug dimebon (latrepirdine) in people with Huntington's disease appears to be safe and may improve cognition. That is the conclusion of a study published today in the Archives of ...


Ginkgo biloba does not appear to slow rate of cognitive decline

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Dec 29, 2009 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (3) | comments 1

Older adults who used the herbal supplement Ginkgo biloba for several years did not have a slower rate of cognitive decline compared to adults who received placebo, according to a study in the December 23/30 issue of JAMA.


Synergistic interaction enhances pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease

Electronics /

created Dec 23, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Scientists have identified a synergistic interaction that disrupts normal intracellular transport mechanisms and leads to the accumulation of neuron-damaging clumps of protein associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative ...


Subtle change dramatically reduces pathogenic potential of Huntington's protein

Medicine & Health / Research

created Dec 23, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Scientists have identified a key molecular switch that may drive the onset of Huntington's disease (HD), an incurable neurodegenerative disorder that leads to severe disruptions in muscle coordination and cognitive function. ...


Blocking biofilms: Alzheimer's research sheds light on potential treatments for urinary tract infections

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Nov 25, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Research into Alzheimer's disease seems an unlikely approach to yield a better way to fight urinary tract infections (UTIs), but that's what scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis ...


Researchers show efficacy of gene therapy in mouse models of Huntington's disease

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Oct 30, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have shown that a highly specific intrabody (an antibody fragment that works against a target inside a cell) is capable of stalling the development of Huntington's ...


Epilepsy drugs could treat Alzheimer's and Parkinson's

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Oct 27, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Researchers in the USA have discovered a potential new function for anti-epileptic drugs in treating neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The study, published in BioMed Central's open access ...


Researchers reveal mechanism for neuron self-preservation

Researchers reveal mechanism for neuron self-preservation

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Oct 19, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Tsuruta et al. find that a lipid kinase directs a voltage-gated calcium channel's degradation to save neurons from a lethal dose of overexcitement. The study appears in the October 19, 2009 issue of the Journal of ...


Researchers identify genes associated with onset age of Parkinson's disease

Medicine & Health / Genetics

created Oct 07, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified genes which may influence the onset age of Parkinson's Disease (PD). The findings, which currently appear on-line in BMC Medical Genetics, are th ...


Nanoresearchers challenge dogma in protein transportation in cells

Nanoresearchers challenge dogma in protein transportation in cells

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Sep 21, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

New data on signaling proteins, called G proteins, may prove important in fighting diseases such as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer. For many decades scientists have puzzled on "How ...


Impaired transport in neurons triggers prion disease

Medicine & Health / Research

created Aug 21, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

A new study shows that nervous system integrity and axonal properties may play a key role in prion diseases. The findings, from researchers at the Rudolf Virchow Center and the Institute of Virology of the University of Würzburg, ...


MRC scientists advance understanding of cell death

Medicine & Health / Research

created Aug 13, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Medical Research Council (MRC) scientists have made an important advance in understanding the biological processes involved when cells are prompted to die. The work may help scientists to eventually develop new treatments ...


New class of compounds discovered for potential Alzheimer's disease drug

New class of compounds discovered for potential Alzheimer's disease drug

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Aug 10, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0

A new class of molecules capable of blocking the formation of specific protein clumps that are believed to contribute to Alzheimer's disease pathology has been discovered by researchers at the University of ...


Early warning: Key Alzheimer's brain changes observed in unimpaired older humans

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Jul 29, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

New research has uncovered an early disruption in the process of memory formation in older humans who exhibit some early brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) but show little or no memory impairment. The ...


Preimplantation genetic diagnosis may pose neurological risks

Medicine & Health / Research

created Jul 21, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has helped many couples conceive healthy children and is generally considered a safe practice. However, a new long-term analysis of PGD in mice suggests that this procedure may increase ...