Involvement of the Red Nucleus in the Compensation of Parkinsonism may Explain why Primates can develop Stable Parkinson's Disease

Neurological compensatory mechanisms help our brain to adjust to neurodegeneration as in Parkinson's disease. It is suggested that the compensation of the damaged striato-thalamo-cortical circuit is focused on the intact thalamo-rubro-cerebellar pathway as seen during presymptomatic Parkinson,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2019-01, Vol.9 (1), p.880-880, Article 880
Main Authors: Philippens, Ingrid H C H M, Wubben, Jacqueline A, Franke, Sigrid K, Hofman, Sam, Langermans, Jan A M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Basal ganglia
Brain diseases
Central nervous system diseases
Cerebellar plasticity
Cerebellum
Cerebral cortex
Feedback
Movement disorders
MPTP
Neurodegeneration
Parkinson's disease
Patients
Quality of life
Red nucleus
Sensorimotor system
Tactile stimuli
Vibrations
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Summary:Neurological compensatory mechanisms help our brain to adjust to neurodegeneration as in Parkinson's disease. It is suggested that the compensation of the damaged striato-thalamo-cortical circuit is focused on the intact thalamo-rubro-cerebellar pathway as seen during presymptomatic Parkinson, paradoxical movement and sensorimotor rhythm (SMR). Indeed, the size of the red nucleus, connecting the cerebellum with the cerebral cortex, is larger in Parkinson's disease patients suggesting an increased activation of this brain area. Therefore, the red nucleus was examined in MPTP-induced parkinsonian marmoset monkeys during the presymptomatic stage and after SMR activation by neurofeedback training. We found a reverse significant correlation between the early expression of parkinsonian signs and the size of the parvocellular part of the red nucleus, which is predominantly present in human and non-human primates. In quadrupedal animals it consists mainly of the magnocellular part. Furthermore, SMR activation, that mitigated parkinsonian signs, further increased the size of the red nucleus in the marmoset monkey. This plasticity of the brain helps to compensate for dysfunctional movement control and can be a promising target for compensatory treatment with neurofeedback technology, vibrotactile stimulation or DBS in order to improve the quality of life for Parkinson's disease patients.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-37381-1