All you need to know about: Huntington’s disease
The symptoms of Huntington’s disease vary from person to person and generally become more severe as the disease progresses
A cutting-edge MRI scan technique could offer insights into the cellular damage caused by Huntington's disease, an inherited genetic condition that gradually impairs movement, cognition, and mood in about 8,000 people in the U.K. Researchers have found that the method, known as "soma and neurite density imaging" (Sandi), can detect abnormalities in the brain's basal ganglia that correspond to those observed in postmortem brain tissue.
Huntington's disease results from a faulty gene, typically manifesting between ages 30 and 50, and there is currently no cure. The new MRI technique could potentially assess treatment efficacy by tracking cellular changes in living patients. The study analyzed brain scans from 56 Huntington's patients and 57 healthy controls, revealing reduced cell density and altered cell size in the basal ganglia of those with the disease, patterns not seen in healthy individuals.
While promising, further research is needed to confirm Sandi's ability to monitor disease progression and treatment effects over time.
Written by urgent.news from Scientific American's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- New brain scan tool could help treat Huntington’s disease, a devastating genetic condition scientificamerican.com
- All you need to know about: Huntington’s disease thehindu.com
