Author Archives: Ashraf Malhas, PhD

The loss of the gene responsible for Angelman syndrome impairs the responses of nerve cells to certain visual stimuli but not their ability to perceive changes in luminance, a mouse study suggests. Importantly, some of these impairments can be corrected by expressing the missing gene in a specific population of nerve…

Screening patients with Angelman syndrome and other neurodevelopemental disorders for sleep disturbances can enable multidisciplinary management, and diagnosing and treating these problems may improve patient quality of life, a review that looked at eight neurogenetic diseases reported. The study, “Sleep Disorders in Childhood Neurogenetic Disorders,” was recently published…

Three novel brain electrical signal patterns have been found in children with Angelman syndrome, which might serve as biomarkers in the assessment of future therapies, researchers report. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a method used to detect electrical signals produced by the brain when brain cells communicate. The pattern of these signals…

In vitro fertilization (IVF) appears to increase the risk of Angelman syndrome as a result of a genetic mechanism known as an imprinting error, according to a study of IVF pregnancies. Several studies have indicated that IVF is accompanied by an increased risk of certain conditions with imprinting disorders, such as…

Electrical stimulation of a nerve in the neck reduces Angelman syndrome patients’ epileptic seizures, a study confirms. Doctors call this therapy vagus nerve stimulation. It involves connecting a pulse generator, similar to a pacemaker, to the neck’s left vagus nerve. The mild electrical signals that the generator sends reduces the length…