911³Ô¹Ï

Linking neurochemistry to neurophysiology in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, and is characterized by progressive impairments in movement and cognition. Brain signaling is altered in patients with PD, and these neurophysiological changes are associated with symptom severity. Key neurotransmitter systems also exhibit dysfunction in PD, primarily including early and preferential loss of dopaminergic and noradrenergic integrity. The interplay between neurochemical and neurophysiological dysfunction in patients with PD is understudied, despite clear translational and pharmacotherapeutic implications. 

A recent line of my research uses multimodal brain imaging to examine the interrelationships between catecholamine system integrity, neurophysiological function, and clinical variability in patients with PD. In this talk, we will cover two of these recent studies, demonstrating (1) a link in PD between noradrenergic dysfunction, cortical alpha rhythms, and cognitive impairments and (2) off-target cortical effects of dopamine replacement therapies, which are associated with diminished clinical response across patients. These findings provide new markers for disease tracking and therapeutics in patients with PD, and form the basis for a central line of inquiry in the new Neurophysiology of Aging and Neurodegeneration Laboratory at 911³Ô¹Ï.