NINDS Archives

Single mutation causes seizure disorder

Jun. 22, 2020—A single mutation in one gene can impair inhibitory signaling in the brain and cause multiple types of seizures and behavioral abnormalities.

Study to explore memory system’s role in TBI behavior deficits

May. 7, 2020—VUMC researchers are beginning a new five-year study to characterize the role of a memory system in behavioral deficits commonly seen in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Loss of ‘Jedi’ alters neuron activity

Mar. 10, 2020—This is not the Jedi you're thinking of. This Jedi is a receptor that helps clear away dead neurons during development, and its loss changes the activity of dorsal root ganglia neurons, which could have implications for treating chronic pain.

Protein interactions and brain function

Feb. 20, 2020—Roger Colbran and colleagues have discovered new molecular details about the function of an enzyme with a key role in shaping learning and memory.

Imaging nerve regeneration

Jan. 28, 2020—Diffusion MRI may provide a noninvasive approach to assess nerve regeneration and distinguish successful from unsuccessful repairs earlier.

VIGH’s Trevathan appointed to NINDS Advisory Council

Jan. 23, 2020—Edwin Trevathan, MD, MPH, director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, has been appointed to the Advisory Council for the National Institute for Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS) of the National Institutes of Health.

A new anti-seizure target?

Dec. 12, 2019—Vanderbilt neurologists have identified a protein modification that could be targeted to reduce neuronal excitability in epilepsy.

Microscopic spines connect worm neurons

Oct. 17, 2019—Worm neurons have microscopic “spines” — where nerve-to-nerve communication happens — that share features with mammalian neurons, supporting the use of worms to study spine genetics and biology.

Astrocytes and epilepsy

Sep. 9, 2019—A protein with important functions in astrocytes — star-shaped brain support cells — may alter neuronal excitability and contribute to seizure activity, Vanderbilt researchers report.

How nerves may lose their insulation

Aug. 22, 2019—Vanderbilt’s Bruce Carter and colleagues have discovered how genetic changes in the protein PMP22 may contribute to a disease of peripheral nerves.

Exploring the brain’s white matter

Mar. 14, 2019—New comprehensive functional MRI measurements point to the need to update models for assessing brain white matter activity and physiology.