This is the first time that researchers at the Universittsklinikum Erlangen have discovered how one of the most common causes of infantile neural palsy is affected. According to the researchers the results in mice may also help to develop drugs for treatment of infantile neural palsy in the future.
At least 25 million infants in the world suffer from seizures due to a problem of neuronal communication between the two hemispheres referred to as the two halves of the brain. Measles for example is a common cause of brain damage and severe neural palsy. The following neuroprotective medicine which can prevent or at least attenuate the effects of these seizures is a needle in a haystack. Altered communication between the left and right teleneuros has also been identified as a risk factor for several neurological disorders.
In order to eradicate preventable epileptic seizures we must distinguish the peripheral half of the brain from the central part Professor Wolfgang Wieder from the Department of Neurology of the Universittsklinikum Erlangen explains. According to the professor the results of the recent studies will help prevent neural palsy in both hemispheres of a mouse. For this reason it was decided at a recent meeting of the Erlangen neuroscience collective to undertake a study on what is ultimately important for the development of cranial nerves. The results were published in the journal Cell Reports.