Article
Neurosciences
Wenyue Liu, Changpeng Wang, Tingting He, Minghong Su, Yuan Lu, Guanyu Zhang, Thomas F. Munte, Lirong Jin, Zheng Ye
Summary: In Parkinson's disease, damage to the substantia nigra may lead to deficits in sequential working memory, mediated by dysfunction in the basal ganglia. Patients showed poorer performance in a digitordering task and smaller SNs compared to healthy controls. The study suggests that SN integrity is crucial for sequencing performance in PD patients.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Victoria Cheung, Philip Chung, Max Bjorni, Varvara A. Shvareva, Yesenia C. Lopez, Evan H. Feinberg
Summary: Behavioral roles and physiology of projection neurons connecting different brain areas are a major focus in modern neuroscience. A high throughput sequencing method called VECTORseq has been developed to identify multiple neuronal subtypes based on connectivity, providing a roadmap for future research in this area.
Article
Neuroimaging
Samantha Tan, Septian Hartono, Thomas Welton, Chu Ning Ann, Soo Lee Lim, Tong San Koh, Huihua Li, Fiona Setiawan, Samuel Ng, Nicole Chia, Saifeng Liu, E. Mark Haacke, Eng King Tan, Louis Chew Seng Tan, Ling Ling Chan
Summary: QSM and DKI are complementary tools that provide valuable insights into the complex pathological changes in early Parkinson's disease, particularly in relation to iron deposition and microstructural alterations. These technologies have the potential to be clinically useful for early diagnosis and assessment of PD.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Arnaud Pautrat, Racha Al Tannir, Karin Pernet-Gallay, Remi Soutrenon, Estelle Vendramini, Valerie Sinniger, Paul G. Overton, Olivier David, Veronique Coizet
Summary: The presence of central neuropathic pain in Parkinson's disease suggests that the brain circuits involved in pain processing may be dysfunctional. This study provides evidence that dysfunction in the subthalamic nucleus and/or substantia nigra pars reticulata may affect the processing of pain signals in the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) and lead to cellular and molecular adaptations in this structure. Rat models of Parkinson's disease with varying levels of dopaminergic lesions were used to demonstrate enhanced nociceptive responses in the substantia nigra reticulata and inhibited nociceptive responses and increased expression of GABA(A) receptors in the PBN following a total dopaminergic lesion. These findings suggest that molecular changes within the PBN, particularly increased GABA(A) expression, may contribute to the development of central neuropathic pain in Parkinson's disease.
NPJ PARKINSONS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Hyungwoo Lee, Kijeong Lee, Young Dae Kim, Hyo Suk Nam, Hye Sun Lee, Sunghee Cho, Ji Hoe Heo
Summary: This retrospective observational study of 350 patients with basal ganglia infarction found that degeneration of the substantia nigra (SN) was associated with functional dependence or death at 3 months post-stroke. The presence of SN degeneration was significantly correlated with worse functional outcomes, indicating its potential as a predictive factor for poor stroke prognosis and a target for therapeutic interventions.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jaclyn Essig, Joshua B. Hunt, Gidon Felsen
Summary: The study reveals that GABAergic SC neurons do not locally suppress premotor output in spatial choice, but instead play a dominant role through functional long-range inhibition. An attractor model is sufficient to explain the experimental observations.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Patricia Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Enrico Zampese, Kristen A. Stout, Jaime N. Guzman, Ema Ilijic, Ben Yang, Tatiana Tkatch, Mihaela A. Stavarache, David L. Wokosin, Lin Gao, Michael G. Kaplitt, Jose Lopez-Barneo, Paul T. Schumacker, D. James Surmeier
Summary: Loss of functional mitochondrial complex I in dopaminergic neurons can lead to a shift in metabolism in mice, causing Parkinson's disease-like symptoms. This study challenges the traditional paradigm of Parkinson's disease by showing that dysfunction of mitochondrial complex I alone is sufficient to cause progressive parkinsonism.
Editorial Material
Behavioral Sciences
Matteo Esposito, Marco Tamietto, Giuliano Carlo Geminiani, Alessia Celeghin
Summary: Recent studies indicate a primary role of the basal ganglia in extracting stimulus-value regularities and managing visual stimulus selection once sensory-motor associations are formed. In Parkinson's Disease, visuospatial attention deficits observed since the early stages may result from the cognitive system losing the ability to translate high-level processing into stable sensorimotor memories.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Animesh Alexander Raha, Anwesha Biswas, James Henderson, Subhojit Chakraborty, Anthony Holland, Robert P. Friedland, Elizabeta Mukaetova-Ladinska, Shahid Zaman, Ruma Raha-Chowdhury
Summary: Iron accumulation in the ageing brain and in brains with neurodegenerative diseases is associated with different patterns of deposition and expression of iron proteins. The downregulation of ferroportin in Alzheimer's disease, the localization of ferritin in senile plaques, and the presence of DMT1 exclusively in certain brain regions suggest potential pathways for further research. Blood vessel damage and protein deposition in certain brain regions are also observed in Parkinson's disease and Down syndrome, indicating a complex relationship between iron mismanagement and neurodegenerative processes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
R. C. Evans
Summary: This paper reviews foundational studies and recent work comparing the circuitry of the ventral and dorsal SNc neurons, discussing how loss of ventral neurons early in Parkinson's Disease could affect the overall balance of inhibition and disinhibition of dopamine signals.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Tushar Kamath, Evan Z. Macosko
Summary: Parkinson's disease is characterized by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Recent advances in genomic profiling have identified specific pathways and genetic variants involved in the susceptibility of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease. This provides new opportunities for understanding and developing therapies for this complex disorder.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vandana Zaman, Kelsey P. Drasites, Ali Myatich, Ramsha Shams, Donald C. Shields, Denise Matzelle, Azizul Haque, Narendra L. Banik
Summary: In this study, the researchers found that the activation of calpain-1 and calpain-2 in a nigrostriatal pathway has different effects on glial activation and neuronal survival in the Parkinson's disease (PD) model. They also found that attenuating calpain-2 may be important in reducing the loss of substantia nigra (SN) neurons in PD.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Kamil Pradel, Gniewosz Drwiega, Tomasz Blasiak
Summary: Dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain are controlled by various brain structures, with the superior colliculus providing sensory input to the contralateral rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), an inhibitory input to dopaminergic neurons. Activation of the contralateral superior colliculus excites RMTg neurons, while stimulation of the ipsilateral side leads to both excitatory and inhibitory responses, suggesting a role of this pathway in orienting and motivation-driven locomotion of animals.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marta Gonzalez-Sepulveda, Joan Compte, Thais Cuadros, Alba Nicolau, Camille Guillard-Sirieix, Nuria Penuelas, Marina Lorente-Picon, Annabelle Parent, Jordi Romero-Gimenez, Joana M. Cladera-Sastre, Ariadna Laguna, Miquel Vila
Summary: Neurons that accumulate the highest levels of neuromelanin with age are also the most susceptible to degeneration in Parkinson's disease. Using a neuromelanin-producing rat model, Gonzalez-Sepulveda, Compte et al. show that slowing down age-dependent neuromelanin production can help prevent Parkinson's disease-like features.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Bahar Say, Nuray Bayar Muluk, Mikail Inal, Alper Goncuoglu, Serap Yorubulut, Ufuk Ergun
Summary: This study utilized conventional cranial MRI to evaluate nigrostriatal structures in patients with PD. It found significant reductions in putamen and cerebral peduncles areas, as well as enlargement of interpeduncular and ambient cisterns, compared to controls. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between disease duration and the cerebral peduncle area/ambient cistern width ratio.
NEUROLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biology
Setsu Nakatani-Enomoto, Madoka Yamazaki, Yoshitsugu Kamimura, Mitsunari Abe, Kohei Asano, Hiroyuki Enomoto, Kanako Wake, Soichi Watanabe, Yoshikazu Ugawa
BIOELECTROMAGNETICS
(2019)
Article
Neurosciences
Takahiro Osada, Shinri Ohta, Akitoshi Ogawa, Masaki Tanaka, Akimitsu Suda, Koji Kamagata, Masaaki Hori, Shigeki Aoki, Yasushi Shimo, Nobutaka Hattori, Takahiro Shimizu, Hiroyuki Enomoto, Ritsuko Hanajima, Yoshikazu Ugawa, Seiki Konishi
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Takahiro Shimizu, Ritsuko Hanajima, Yuichiro Shirota, Ryosuke Tsutsumi, Nobuyuki Tanaka, Yasuo Terao, Masashi Hamada, Yoshikazu Ugawa
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Takenobu Murakami, Setsu Nakatani-Enomoto, Hiroyuki Enomoto, Yukitoshi Takahashi, Yoshikazu Ugawa
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Nobuyuki Tanaka, Ryosuke Tsutsumi, Yuichiro Shirota, Takahiro Shimizu, Shinya Ohminami, Yasuo Terao, Yoshikazu Ugawa, Shoji Tsuji, Ritsuko Hanajima
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2019)
Article
Neurosciences
Hideyuki Matsumoto, Yoshikazu Ugawa
EXPERIMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Akira Yamashita, Takenobu Murakami, Noriaki Hattori, Ichiro Miyai, Yoshikazu Ugawa
Summary: The study demonstrated that PCMS with supramaximal PNS intensity increased CMEP amplitude, and its facilitatory effect was greater than those of weaker PNS intensities for PCMS. Sham TMS with supramaximal PNS showed no changes in CMEP after intervention. The PNS intensity influences the magnitude of synaptic plasticity induction between CSTs and SMs at the spinal level, with supramaximal intensity being the most effective for inducing long-term potentiation-like effects.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Satomi Inomata-Terada, Hideki Fukuda, Shin-ichi Tokushige, Shun-ichi Matsuda, Masashi Hamada, Yoshikazu Ugawa, Shoji Tsuji, Yasuo Terao
Summary: This study investigated the pathophysiology of hereditary spinocerebellar degeneration (SCA) with pure cerebellar manifestation using saccade recordings. The results showed increased saccade latency and amplitude, as well as greater variability, in SCA patients compared to normal subjects. These changes correlated with the severity of cerebellar symptoms. The study also found that the saccade velocity profile and the relationship between saccade amplitude and peak velocity were affected by disease progression. This research demonstrates the importance of saccade recording in understanding the cerebellar pathophysiology of SCA.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Makoto Honda, Takahiro Shimizu, Shotaro Moriyasu, Takenobu Murakami, Hiroshi Takigawa, Yoshikazu Ugawa, Ritsuko Hanajima
Summary: This study investigates the characteristics of motor cortical LTP-like effects in PSP patients and finds that the degree of LTP is correlated with the severity of bradykinesia.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Katerina Mensikova, John C. Steele, Raymond Rosales, Carlo Colosimo, Peter Spencer, Annie Lannuzel, Yoshikazu Ugawa, Ryogen Sasaki, Santiago Gimenez-Roldan, Radoslav Matej, Lucie Tuckova, Dominik Hrabos, Kristyna Kolarikova, Radek Vodicka, Radek Vrtel, Miroslav Strnad, Petr Hlustik, Pavel Otruba, Martin Prochazka, Martin Bares, Susana Boluda, Luc Buee, Gerhard Ransmayr, Petr Kanovsky
Summary: Endemic parkinsonism refers to diseases that occur in specific locations or populations. Different clusters of endemic parkinsonism exist in different geographic regions, and their persistence or disappearance is determined by genetic or environmental factors. Studying these diseases helps to understand the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and provides direction for future research.
NATURE REVIEWS NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Mario Manto, Mariano Serrao, Stefano Filippo Castiglia, Dagmar Timmann, Elinor Tzvi-Minker, Ming-Kai Pan, Sheng-Han Kuo, Yoshikazu Ugawa
Summary: This chapter provides an overview of the advances and emerging techniques in neurophysiological tests for cerebellar disorders. Different syndromes exhibited by cerebellar patients, as well as abnormal electrophysiological patterns and impaired motor control, are discussed. Various techniques are used to better understand and evaluate cerebellar disorders.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY PRACTICE
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Clinical Neurology
Y. Ugawa
JOURNAL OF THE NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2019)
Meeting Abstract
Clinical Neurology
Juntaro Kaneko, Takahiro Iizuka, Yuko Kondo, Yuki Abe, Atsushi Kaneko, Kasumi Hattori, Shunsuke Kobayashi, Yoshikazu Ugawa, Kenji Sekiguchi, Kengo Maeda, Yushi Matsumoto, Naomi Kanazawa, Eiji Kitamura, Josep Dalmau, Kazutoshi Nishiyama
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
M. Kaan Can, Ilkka Laakso, Jaakko O. Nieminen, Takenobu Murakami, Yoshikazu Ugawa
BIOMEDICAL PHYSICS & ENGINEERING EXPRESS
(2019)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Yuka Urata, Masayuki Nakamura, Natsuki Sasaki, Nari Shiokawa, Yoshiaki Nishida, Kaoru Arai, Hanae Hiwatashi, Izumi Yokoyama, Shinsuke Narumi, Yasuo Terayama, Takenobu Murakami, Yoshikazu Ugawa, Hiroki Sakamoto, Satoshi Kaneko, Yusuke Nakazawa, Ryo Yamasaki, Shoko Sadashima, Toshiaki Sakai, Hiroaki Arai, Akira Sano
NEUROLOGY-GENETICS
(2019)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jaakko Vallinoja, Timo Nurmi, Julia Jaatela, Vincent Wens, Mathieu Bourguignon, Helena Maenpaa, Harri Piitulainen
Summary: The study aimed to assess the effects of lesions related to spastic diplegic cerebral palsy on functional connectivity. Using multiple imaging modalities, the researchers found enhanced functional connectivity in the sensorimotor network of individuals with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, which was not correlated with hand coordination performance.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Francesca Ginatempo, Nicola Loi, John C. Rothwell, Franca Deriu
Summary: This study comprehensively investigated sensorimotor integration in the cranial-cervical muscles of healthy adults and found that the integration of sensory inputs with motor output is profoundly influenced by the type of sensory afferent involved and the functional role played by the target muscle.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2024)