CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Neurologists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine believe their new research has found the source of many life-long behavioral issues such as Alzheimer's and ALS. 

The source comes from cellular cleanup, which is a normal part of brain development. 

However, if it goes wrong, it can cause permanent changes to the way a person's brain is wired and it could lead to neurological issues. 

UVA believes the discovery could lead to treatment for disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, autism and ALS. 

"There's a good possibility that this pathway is involved there too, so it kind of opens up a new culprit that we can study further and hopefully find some effective treatments to treat these neurological disorders," said John Lukens, the assistant professor at the UVA School of Medicine. 

He believes it will likely take years for any type of treatment to be done.