New developments about a rare neurological disorder

Members of the Mathematics of Neural Networks theme worked in collaboration with researchers at SickKids Hospital in Toronto to shed new light on a rare neurological disorder.  Rett Syndrome impacts brain development in children, leading to serious impairments in speech and motor skills.  

Using a computational neural network model, Dr. Lyle Muller (Theme Leader and Western Fellow) and theme member Gabriel Benigno worked with Dr. Julio Martinez-Trujillo (Brain and Mind Institute), Dr. James Ellis (SickKids), and members of Dr. Ellis's lab to analyze networks of neurons cultured from stem cells of patients with Rett syndrome. According to Dr. Muller, "results from this research can provide insight into the circuit-level changes associated with this condition."

The team's findings have been published in the latest issue of Translational Psychiatry.