Reading Time: 6 minutes Guest researcher blog post about the recently published paper on the identification of potential new biomarkers in the blood, in the journal Brain Communications. Written by lead author, Dr Greig Joilin, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Sussex: Diagnosis of MND is currently a time-consuming process of elimination, causing patients and families prolonged stress…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Although conventional brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are often normal in people with MND, more sophisticated MRI techniques have shown changes in the structure of their brains as the disease progresses. A limitation of even the most recent MRI techniques is that they can only provide a snapshot of the brain at a single…
Reading Time: 2 minutes What are fasciculations? When motor neurones in the spinal cord become damaged this makes them electrically unstable, meaning they spontaneously discharge electrical impulses that cause small groups of muscles to contract. These contractions, known as fasciculations, are a common symptom of MND. Research suggests that they might be a good marker of motor neurone health.…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Biomarkers in Oxford (BioMOx) is a research project with the aim of identifying a diagnostic biomarker for MND, which could be used to track the progression of this condition. What are biomarkers? The aim is to identify biomarkers, or ‘biological fingerprints’ for MND. This could be through testing blood and spinal fluid (CSF) samples from…
Reading Time: 4 minutes Could there be a small number of people for whom there is a pause or a reversal in their disease progression? A talk at the Symposium on Friday afternoon from Dr Rick Bedlack (Duke University) looked into this very topic. There have been few studies looking into the changing nature of motor neurone disease (MND) progression,…
Reading Time: 3 minutes While muscle cramps are a very common symptom of motor neurone disease (MND) there is currently few effective ways of management and treatment. Even though muscle cramps are frequently reported, not a lot is known about this symptom, as research has been limited. You could say they were the Cinderella of MND symptoms – lacking…
Reading Time: 3 minutes Dr Andrea Malaspina is an Association-funded researcher investigating biomarkers, or ‘biological fingerprints’ of MND. Here he blogs about working with patients and basic science. I regularly meet people living with MND due to my role as a Consultant Neurologist at the Bart’s and the London MND Care Centre and one of the most common questions…
