Synchronous neuronal firing may underlie Parkinson...( multaneously in the motor cortex and th...),Health

multaneously in the motor cortex and the striatum, another critical area of the brain, in these dopamine-depleted mice. Communication of signals among the neurons in these regions controls movement, balance and walking, and it is this communication that is disabled in Parkinson's disease.

Using electrodes finer than a human hair implanted into individual neurons, the researchers could monitor signals passed among neurons in the treated mice. They found the overall level of activity of the neurons in the motor cortex did not change. Instead, the neurons fired in unison, leaving the Parkinsonian mice unable to direct or control their movement in a normal manner.

In another part of the study, the researchers found evidence that may provide insight into the underlying biology of schizophrenia. In these tests, the researchers examined mice not treated with the dopamine-blocking chemical, as the excess dopamine that accumulates in the brains of such animals is known to make them exhibit the bizarre behaviors experienced by people with schizophrenia.

It turned out that the excessive dopamine caused the mice's neurons to fire in a less synchronous manner, just the opposite of what happened in the Parkinsonian mice, the researchers said.

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Contact: Marla Vacek Broadfoot
marla.broadfoot@duke.edu
919-660-1306
Duke University Medical Center
18-Oct-2006

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