Neurology Diagnostics

Archive for March, 2010

Childhood neurological cause much distress in the family. However, thanks to scientific advances, most young patients can enjoy a full life today.

What would be the most common conditions in this specialty.

There are two sets of conditions which by their frequency in childhood and adolescence, would represent the main reasons for consultation at the neurological specialty: developmental disorders and so encompass the paroxysms.

A not insignificant percentage of children has a developmental disorder of sufficient magnitude to require an expert assessment. The reasons for consultation vary by age:

• In infants: is manifested in the acquisition of maturational patterns, especially motor.

• At stage Kindergarten disorders in language development.

• At school age and adolescence in learning disorders and behavior.

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A new study has been first discovered a molecular link between Parkinson’s disease and defects in nerve cell communication. The work, published in Molecular Cell, provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease, which could lead to new therapeutic strategies.

Mutations in parkin gene are responsible for an inherited form of Parkinson’s disease. Although the function of Parkin protein is not well defined, seems to be involved in the degradation of other proteins.

To understand how the mutated Parkin protein cause Parkinson’s, Dr. Fon and his colleagues sought which are mutations in the gene and, specifically, what is the role of the region that is mutated normally.

The protein binds to a protein called endofilina-A, instrumental in the synapses, specifically in the trafficking of synaptic vesicles. These findings show the molecular link between Parkinson-causing recessive genes and defects in synaptic transmission.