Malika Ammam, PhD,  —

Several Australian institutions collaborated to evaluate the structural integrity of a major component of the central nervous system, cortical grey matter, in patients with Friedreich ataxia (FRDA). The scientists found structural abnormalities in several brain regions, primarily in the cortical motor system, which represents a step forward in understanding the disease.

Su Yang, Ph.D., from Emory University in Atlanta is one of the National Ataxia Foundation postdoctoral fellowship recipients of 2016 for the project titled “Developing the MANF-based therapeutic approach for Spinocerebellar Ataxia 17.” Spinocerebellar Ataxia 17 (SCA17) is an inherited condition characterized by a gradual loss of…

A recent study led by several Australian institutions found that excessive muscle contraction, called spasticity, appears early in patients with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). To optimize the function of people with FA, particular management of spasticity and reduced muscle length should be considered at an early stage of the disease. These findings,…

Low-dose deferiprone in combination with idebenone may improve both neurological and cardiological functions of patients with Friedreich’s ataxia. These are the findings of a study titled “Clinical Experience With Deferiprone Treatment for Friedreich Ataxia” published in the Journal of Child Neurology. Friedrich’s ataxia is a progressive…

A recent study links frataxin protein levels to disease features in patients with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). The article, titled “Frataxin levels in peripheral tissue in Friedreich ataxia,” was published in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology journal. FA is a neurological disorder that progressively damages the nervous…

In a recently published paper entitled “BNIP-H Recruits the Cholinergic Machinery to Neurite Terminals to Promote Acetylcholine Signaling and Neuritogenesis“, published in the Developmental Cell journal a team of international researchers identified an ataxia-related protein that regulates the growth of neurons by transporting key metabolic enzymes…