Striatum microstructural damage linked to disability and cognitive impairment in ALS
Researchers have identified microstructural damage to the striatum in patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that could play a key role in the motor disability and cognitive deficits associated with the condition.
Adjunctive fasudil ‘considered safe’ for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
The Rho-associated kinase inhibitor fasudil as an adjunct to riluzole is well tolerated for the treatment of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, indicate phase 2 findings from the ROCK-ALS study.
X chromosome gene locus linked to increased AD risk
SLC9A7 on the X chromosome has been pinpointed as a novel risk locus for Alzheimer’s disease in a genetic meta-analysis of over 1.15 million individuals.
Circulating endocannabinoids potential biomarkers for ALS
Circulating endocannabinoids are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease activity and progression, demonstrating potential prognostic value, report researchers in the European Journal of Neurology.
Blood test predicts Parkinson’s disease up to 7 years before symptom onset
Researchers have used a machine learning approach to create a panel of eight blood biomarkers that can identify people at risk for developing Parkinson’s disease up to 7 years before the first signs or symptoms.
Motor benefits for prasinezumab in rapidly progressing early-stage PD
Prasinezumab, a monoclonal antibody that binds aggregated α-synuclein, has shown promise for slowing motor progression in patients with rapidly progressing Parkinson’s disease in a post-hoc analysis of the PASADENA phase 2 study.
SMA newborn screening improves functional outcomes
Children diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy through a newborn screening initiative have better functional outcomes than their peers diagnosed after the development of clinical symptoms, the SMARTCARE study findings show.
Lixisenatide slows motor disability progression in early PD
The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist lixisenatide slows motor disability progression in patients with early Parkinson’s disease, suggest findings from the LIXIPARK trial.
‘No substantive increase’ in ASD with prenatal topiramate exposure
Children born to women with epilepsy who take topiramate during the second half of their pregnancy do not have a substantially increased risk of autism spectrum disorder, suggests research published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Blood immunoassay shows high diagnostic accuracy for Alzheimer’s disease pathology
A commercially available plasma phosphorylated (p)-tau217 immunoassay outperforms other biomarkers in accurately identifying biological Alzheimer’s disease, suggest findings from a study across three observational cohorts.
This independent news story was supported by an educational grant from L’Institut Servier, Suresnes, France.
