Mapping the course of neurodegeneration

New research provides a possible explanation as to why neurodegenerative disorders originate in one distinct region, answers that show potential for the development of new treatments. In diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the progress of neurodegeneration follows a distinctive path, always starting in the same place; for Alzheimer’s it’s the temporal lobe, for Parkinson’s it’s the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra. Until now, the reason for this selective vulnerability has been unknown, as it had been assumed that brain cells were genetically identical. “This has been a big open question in neuroscience, particularly in various neurodegenerative diseases,” commented...