| Watching the developing brain, scientists glean clues on neurological disorder |
|
| Tuesday, November 13, 2012 | |
|
As the brain develops, each neuron must find its way to precisely the right spot to weave the intricate network of links the brain needs to function. Like the wiring in a computer, a few misplaced connections can throw off functioning for an entire segment of the brain. A new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine reveals how some nerve cells, called interneurons, navigate during the development of the cerebral cortex. Mutations in a key gene behind this navigation system underlie a rare neurological disorder called Joubert syndrome; a condition linked with autism spectrum disorders and brain structure malformations. For full release |
CAROLINA IN THE NEWS
UNC's Loren Shealy wins SI's female College Athlete of the Year awardSports Illustrated
The phrase has been hollowed out by years of often cynical misapplication, but every once in a while a special collegian gives the term student-athlete unassailable substance. Meet SI's female College Athlete of the Year, North Carolina sophomore Loren Shealy, an ace field hockey forward, top business administration student, Robertson Scholar and, for one lunch hour in late April, just one of the scores of UNC students who have stopped for a meal or conversation at the Pit, the oak-shaded sunken brick courtyard that serves as the village square of the Chapel Hill campus.