As in the case of aging, many degenerative disorders also result from progressive mitochondrial deterioration and cellular damage accumulation. Therefore, preventing damage accumulation may delay aging and help to prevent degenerative disorders, especially those associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans a mild mitochondrial dysfunction prolongs the lifespan. 

A role for p53 in mitochondrial stress response control of longevity in C. elegans

Automatic method of pause measurement for normal and dysarthric speech

Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is typically characterized by slowly progressive ataxia, depressed tendon reflexes, dysarthria, pyramidal signs, and loss of position and vibration sense with onset before 25 years. While several atypical forms of FRDA are recognized, profound vision deficit is rare. We describe here a 41-year-old man with profound vision deficit and episodic complete blindness associated with marked optic atrophy, spastic paraparesis, and sensory neuropathy.

Atypical, perhaps under-recognized? An unusual phenotype of Friedreich ataxia

Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage are at the origin of numerous neurodegenerative diseases like Friedreich ataxia and Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is the most common hereditary ataxia, with one individual affected in 50,000. This disease is characterized by progressive degeneration of the central and peripheral nervous systems, cardiomyopathy, and increased incidence of diabetes mellitus.

FRIEDREICH'S ATAXIA: MOLECULAR MECHANISMS, REDOX CONSIDERATIONS AND THERAPEUTIC OPPORTUNITIES