Different dopaminergic dysfunctions underlying parkinsonian akinesia and tremor

Although the occurrence of Parkinsonian akinesia and tremor is traditionally associated to dopaminergic degeneration, the multifaceted neural processes that cause these impairments are not fully understood. As a consequence, current dopamine medications cannot be tailored to the specific dysfunctions of patients with the result that generic drug therapies produce different effects on akinesia and tremor. This article proposes a computational model focusing on the role of dopamine impairments in the occurrence of akinesia and resting tremor. The model has three key features, to date never integrated in a single computational system: (a) an architecture constrained on the basis of the relevant known system-level anatomy of the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loops; (b) spiking neurons with physiologically-constrained parameters; (c) a detailed simulation of the effects of both phasic and tonic dopamine release. The model exhibits a neural dynamics compatible with that recorded in the brain of primates and humans. Moreover, it suggests that akinesia might involve both tonic and phasic dopamine dysregulations whereas resting tremor might be primarily caused by impairments involving tonic dopamine release and the responsiveness of dopamine receptors. These results could lead to develop new therapies based on a system-level view of the Parkinson's disease and targeting phasic and tonic dopamine in differential ways.

Publication type: 
Articolo
Author or Creator: 
Caligiore Daniele
Mannella Francesco
Baldassarre Gianluca
Publisher: 
Frontiers Research Foundation,, Lausanne , Svizzera
Source: 
Frontiers in neuroscience (Online) 13 (2019). doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00550
info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Caligiore Daniele, Mannella Francesco, Baldassarre Gianluca/titolo:Different dopaminergic dysfunctions underlying parkinsonian akinesia and tremor/doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00550/rivista:Frontiers in neuroscience (Online)/anno:201
Date: 
2019
Resource Identifier: 
http://www.cnr.it/prodotto/i/403214
https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.00550
info:doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00550
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.00550
Language: 
Eng
ISTC Author: 
Daniele Caligiore's picture
Real name: 
Francesco Mannella's picture
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