“The brain is like a muscle. When it is in use we feel very good. Understanding is joyous.” — Carl Sagan  A chance meetup last summer with a local in my community led to a slightly random conversation about brain donation. I was discussing a genetic test I…

Five years ago, I grew increasingly concerned about my brother, Gavin. He was aggressive, angry, anxious, self-neglecting, and unemployed, and he appeared to be coping poorly with his Huntington’s disease. I reached out to our local Huntington’s care adviser, who explained that most of my brother’s emotional and behavioral…

People with Huntington’s disease were found to have a widespread deficiency of selenium — a trace mineral found naturally in foods such as seafood and Brazil nuts — in their brains, revealing a new potential therapeutic target, according to researchers. Alterations in the levels of other biologically active…

Asklepios Biopharmaceutical (AskBio) has launched a first-in-human clinical trial testing AB-1001 — an experimental gene therapy designed to modulate cholesterol metabolism in the brain — in people with Huntington’s disease. The trial is currently recruiting participants at a site in Paris. It is open to adults, ages 18…

Some 41,000 U.S. residents are thought to live with Huntington’s disease (HD), a rare progressive disorder that breaks down brain nerve cells. During May, and as part of Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month, the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) is launching a robust social media initiative aimed at…

Two proteins present in the blood and brains of patients with Huntington’s disease may be used as biomarkers to detect the earliest changes caused by the disease, according to recent research. The study, “Evaluation of mutant huntingtin and neurofilament proteins as potential markers in Huntington’s disease,” was published…

A new study from researchers in Spain may increase understanding of a less recognized aspect of Huntington’s disease (HD): cognitive problems. The article examines the possible causes of cognitive difficulties in HD and how they might be addressed through new therapies. The report, “Cognitive Dysfunction in Huntington’s Disease: Mechanisms and…

Scientists at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience have discovered a crucial switch for understanding how cells in the nervous system communicate. The ground-breaking research could aid in the understanding of nervous system function and also help pinpoint what goes wrong in neurological conditions such as Huntington’s disease. The report, titled “Presynaptic…

In a new study entitled “Spatial mapping of juxtacrine axo-glial interactions identifies novel molecules in peripheral myelination” a team of scientists reports a new method for capturing and understanding the molecular mechanisms behind brain cellular interactions, a key event for a healthy and fully functional brain which may…

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Mellon University recently reported the first non-invasive brain-imaging tool to visualize the brain’s basal ganglia regions, which are thought to be defective in some neurological disorders including Huntington’s disease. The study entitled “In vivo characterization of…