Brains of people with sickle cell disease appear older (Links to an external site)
Individuals with sickle cell disease – a chronic illness where misshapen, sticky blood cells clump together, reducing oxygen delivery to organs – are at a higher risk for stroke and resulting cognitive disability. But even in the absence of stroke, many such patients struggle with remembering, focusing, learning and problem solving, among other cognitive problems, […]
New Qalsody Results Bring Hope for Recovery of Lost Function and More Time (Links to an external site)
For decades, the general consensus among neurologists and neuroscientists has been that ALS treatments would only be able to slow down or stop further progression of the disease. Function that had already been lost would probably not be recovered. But now, evidence is emerging that not only is functional improvement possible, it’s happening for some people […]
Fatal neurodegenerative disease in kids also affects the bowel (Links to an external site)
As a leading researcher of rare diseases that affect children’s brains, Jonathan D. Cooper, PhD, thought little about the gastrointestinal (GI) system. That is, until the parents of children with a condition that Cooper studies urged him to investigate why debilitating digestive issues troubled their kids, who suffer from an incurable and fatal neurodegenerative brain condition […]
Could inhaling xenon gas help treat Alzheimer’s? A new mouse study suggests it might (Links to an external site)
The gas xenon, like the other noble, or inert, gases, is known for doing very little. The class of elements, because of its molecular structure, don’t typically interact with many chemicals. But a new mouse study shows one possible use case for xenon — as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. The paper, published Wednesday in Science Translational […]
Kummer Named Assistant Dean for Medical Student Research and Scholarship (Links to an external site)
Terrance Kummer, MD, PhD, has been named Assistant Dean for Medical Student Research and Scholarship at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Kummer is currently the Director of EXPLORE, a longitudinal program that helps WashU MD students find and explore their academic niche in medicine. Dr. Kummer will continue in this role while also assuming […]