Topic: levodopa

Power spectra of local field potentials contain an aperiodic component that is believed to reflect the excitation/inhibition balance. Several studies have indicated that the aperiodic exponent is sensitive to levodopa in Parkinson’s disease, but there is no clear evidence of its relationship to PD motor symptoms. This study aims to explore the correlation between the aperiodic exponent of subthalamic nucleus activity and rigidity and bradykinesia.Fourteen PD patients underwent bilateral STN DBS surgery with temporary leads externalization. LFPs were recorded in OFF and ON states several days a

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease primarily characterized by severe motor symptoms that can be transiently relieved by medication (levodopa). While there is evidence of widespread alterations of the neuronal activities across the brain, reliable biomarkers are still lacking. To examine this question, we measured the resting state activities of 11 PD patients both with deep stimulation electrodes and with EEG electrodes placed in the motor areas, in order to provide simultaneous recording from both the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the cortex. Then, we used a dynamical mea

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons of the Substantia Nigra and the accumulation of protein aggregates, called Lewy bodies, where the most abundant protein is alpha-synuclein (a-SYN). In addition to the neurodegeneration and the accumulation of proteins, PD is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation and mitochondrial alterations that lead to oxidative stress. Currently, the only treatment for PD patients is dopamine replacement therapy (levodopa), which has serious side effects and does

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is a common target for treating PD's motor symptoms. However, we have little understanding of STN pathology in PD. We aimed to examine the cellular and functional pathology of the STN in PD using both rodent and post-mortem human brain tissue. First, we show bidirectional motor control by STN using optogenetic modulation, where inhibition of the STN increases movement and STN activation decreases movement. We also examined the effect of bidirectional optogenetic m

In animal experimentation, welfare and severity assessments are necessary to meet legal and ethical requirements. Injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the nigrostriatal system of rats is used as a model for Parkinson's disease (PD). Unilateral intranigral infusion of 6-OHDA leads to a massive destruction of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons and concomitant motor disturbances. After injection of Levodopa (L-Dopa), these rats develop dyskinesias. The bilateral model leads to slow and incomplete retrograde degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. For severity assessment, we quantitatively m