University of Arizona researchers have discovered that levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson’s patients arises from a disconnect in the motor cortex, challenging existing views about its cause. Their study also highlights the potential of ketamine, an anesthetic, to disrupt abnormal brain patterns and promote neuroplasticity, offering promising therapeutic benefits. Credit: SciTechDaily.com University of Arizona researchers revealed that dyskinesia in Parkinson’s patients stems from a disconnect in the motor cortex, not direct causation. Ketamine shows promise as a treatment by disrupting abnormal brain activity and promoting long-term neuroplasticity.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have provided valuable insights into one of the most common complications faced by Parkinson’s disease patients: involuntary movements that arise after prolonged treatment.
Parkinson’s disease, a neurological disorder affecting movement, occurs when dopamine levels in the brain decline. Dopamine, a critical chemical for controlling bodily movements, is replenished in part by administering levodopa, a medication that converts to dopamine in the brain. However, extended use of levodopa can lead to a condition called levodopa-induced dyskinesia, characterized by uncontrollable, involuntary movements.
A study published in the journal Brain sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of levodopa-induced dyskinesia and explores how ketamine, an anesthetic, could offer potential relief for this debilitating condition.
Over the years, the brain of a Parkinson’s patient adapts to the levodopa treatment, which is why levodopa causes dyskinesia in the long term, said Abhilasha Vishwanath, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral research associate in the U of A Department of Psychology.
In the new study, the research team found that the motor cortex – the brain region responsible for controlling movement – becomes essentially “disconnected” during dyskinetic episodes. This finding challenges the prevailing view that the motor cortex actively generates these uncontrollable movements.
Because of the disconnect between motor cortical activity and these uncontrollable movements, there’s probably not a direct link, but rather an indirect way in which these movements are being generated, Vishwanath said.
The researchers recorded activity from thousands of neurons in the motor cortex.
“There are about 80 billion neurons in the brain, and they hardly shut up at any point. So, there are a lot of interactions […]
New Research Challenges Long-Held Views About Parkinson’s Disease
