/newsroom/taxonomy/term/16242/all en /newsroom/channels/news/promising-discovery-rare-neurodegenerative-disease-356442 <p>Imagine being middle aged and starting to feel that you are off balance a lot and that you are having a hard time coordinating your movements. Those are among the symptoms of Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6, known as SCA6, a rare neurodegenerative disease which typically appears in adulthood and worsens over time. Over time, other problems such as slurred speech and difficulty seeing or seeing double, may also appear. It is estimated that fewer than 5,000 people in the US have the condition, which is the result of genetic mutations in the cerebellum.</p> Wed, 27 Mar 2024 03:17:30 +0000 lawrence.chiang@mail.mcgill.ca 310391 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/stuck-traffic-researchers-identify-cellular-traffic-jams-rare-disease-354128 <p>Researchers from UUÖ±²¥, led by Professor Alanna Watt of the Department of Biology, have identified previously unknown changes in brain cells affected by a neurological disease. Their <a href="http://elifesciences.org/articles/90510">research</a>, published in <i>eLife,</i> could pave the way to future treatments for the disease.</p> Wed, 10 Jan 2024 15:56:10 +0000 claire.loewen@mcgill.ca 307577 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/exercise-may-be-key-developing-treatments-rare-movement-disorder-341989 <p>Spinal cerebellar ataxia 6 (SCA6) is an inherited neurological condition which has a debilitating impact on motor coordination. Affecting around 1 in 100,000 people, the rarity of SCA6 has seen it attract only limited attention from medical researchers. To date, there is no known cure and only limited treatment options exist.</p> <p>Now, a team of UUÖ±²¥ researchers specializing in SCA6 and other forms of ataxia, have published findings that not only offer hope for SCA6 sufferers but may also open the way to developing treatments for other movement disorders.</p> Fri, 16 Sep 2022 16:36:28 +0000 katherine.gombay@mcgill.ca 288363 at /newsroom /newsroom/alanna-watt Fri, 15 Jul 2022 14:27:52 +0000 lawrence.chiang@mail.mcgill.ca 288249 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/cell-structure-previously-associated-disease-actually-improves-brain-function-331842 <p>Researchers at UUÖ±²¥ have shown that a brain cell structure previously thought to be pathological in fact enhances cells’ ability to transmit information and correlates with better learning on certain tasks.</p> <p>In a study published in <i>Nature Communications</i>, the team investigated swellings that occur in the axons of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. In results that contradict established expectations, they found that axons with swellings did a better job of conducting electrical signals than those without.</p> Thu, 08 Jul 2021 18:43:29 +0000 frederique.mazerolle@mcgill.ca 269920 at /newsroom