Category: Research

Blockages in nerve-cell protein ‘factory’ implicated in neurodegenerative disease

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Research by Waisman affiliate Jon Audhya shows new insight into the molecular basis underlying the neurodegenerative condition, hereditary spastic paraplegia (HPS). His recent study shows how a mutation in the TFG gene–one of several linked to HPS–impairs neurons from forming structures needed to transmit signals properly. Read the full article, please visit https://www.med.wisc.edu/news-and-events/2018/september/nerve-cell-protein-factory/

Mental health in pregnancy may affect development of newborns’ brains

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By Marianne Spoon, UW Communications Many factors can influence the development of a baby during pregnancy and after birth, but until recently, researchers knew little about the relationship between an expectant mother’s mental health and the subsequent development of her baby after birth. Findings from a University of Wisconsin–Madison team published Monday, Aug. 27, in …

Researchers unveil new strategy to correct for motion during MRI scans

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Individuals undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan often need to minimize movements for up to 10 minutes at a time to maximize scan quality. That can be challenging for many people.

Expecting to learn: Language acquisition in toddlers improved by predictable situations

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In an upcoming study in Current Biology, published online Aug. 16, researchers at the Arizona State University Department of Psychology and the Waisman Center report a factor that is important for language learning in children: the predictability of the learning environment.

Scientists discover cause of aging-related disease in mice, then reverse its symptoms

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In a study published in Aging Cell, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison show that mice making too much of a human protein called AT-1 show signs of early aging and premature death, which are also symptoms of the human disorder progeria. Researchers were able to reverse the signs of accelerated aging and early death …

Childhood stress leaves lasting mark on genes

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How does stress put some children at risk of psychiatric disorders when they grow up? To find out, researchers compared their genomes to those of kids whose childhoods were relatively tranquil.

Unraveling the mysteries of a rare neurological disorder

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Could understanding the ebb and flow of calcium in brain cells provide clues that help researchers develop a treatment for a devastating neurological disease? Rett syndrome, a rare, non-inherited neurological disorder that mostly affects girls and causes severe deterioration in their ability to speak, eat, move and even breathe easily is caused by variations in …

Using artificial intelligence for a big impact on neurodevelopmental research

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Arezoo Movaghar earned her master’s degree in computer science and artificial intelligence. She built models based on the plentiful data found in medical records. So, when she came to UW–Madison as a PhD student and joined a research group, it surprised Movaghar to find out just how much data researchers in other fields collect.

Study led by Waisman investigator Maureen Durkin selected as one of the top advances in autism research in 2017

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A multi-institution study of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) led by Maureen Durkin, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Waisman Center, has been selected as one of the top advances in 2017 ASD research by the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. Among the study’s findings was that children living in neighborhoods where incomes are low and fewer …

Here is how a cat can hinder children learning new words

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Say you are shown an apple, a banana and a fruit you have never seen before. Then you are asked to pick the “pifo.” Which fruit would you choose? Chances are you would select the novel fruit.