Critical Involvement of cAMP/DARPP-32 and Extracellular Signal-Regulated Protein Kinase Signaling in L-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesia

annatto submitted, created time 1 year 6 months (www.jneurosci.org)

"The molecular basis of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA)-induced dyskinesia (LID), one of the major hindrances in the current therapy for Parkinson's disease, is still unclear. We show that attenuation of cAMP signaling in the medium spiny neurons of the striatum, achieved by genetic inactivation of the dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of 32 kDa (DARPP-32), reduces LID. We also show that, in dyskinetic mice, sensitized cAMP/cAMP-dependent protein kinase/DARPP-32 signaling leads to phosphorylation/activation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2)

Submit comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: MSK-1 6-OHDA Parkinsons disease SL327 striatum MEK, MAPK&ERK kinase

The Formation of Abnormal Associations in Schizophrenia: Neural and Behavioral Evidence

penguin submitted, created time 1 year 8 months (www.nature.com)

The main finding in this article is that patients with schizophrenia, when exposed to neutral stimuli in a threatening situation, show an abnormal pattern of learning. The aberrant activations and response are consistent with the idea that patients aberrantly assign motivational salience to neutral stimuli, and this process may be one of the aberrations that predisposes them to psychosis.

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Estimation of D2-like Receptor Occupancy by Dopamine in the Putamen of Hemiparkinsonian Monkeys

Luneetty submitted, created time 1 year 8 months (www.nature.com)

"To advance understanding of the neurochemical changes in Parkinson's disease (PD), we compared D2-like dopamine receptor occupancy by dopamine in the control and lesioned putamen of four pig-tailed macaques treated unilaterally with MPTP."

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Volume, neuron density and total neuron number in five subcortical regions in schizophrenia

badboy submitted, created time 1 year 9 months (brain.oxfordjournals.org)

The rigorous quantitative analysis of several regions in brains from schizophrenic patients and matched controls is crucial to provide reliable information on the neuropathology of schizophrenia as well as insights about its pathogenesis.

Submit comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: amygdala design-based stereology schizophrenia striatum thalamus