New findings 'could lead to new Parkinson's treatments'RSS Feed

New research investigating the role of neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain could lead to treatments for the brain injury seen in neurodegenerative conditions, researchers have claimed.

Scientists at the Karolinska Institutet studied the salamander brain, which automatically re-builds all missing dopamine-producing brain neurons.

It was found that the salamander's stem cells are activated when dopamine concentration drops due to the loss of these neurons.

Study leader Dr Andras Simon explained how the salamanders were treated with L-dopa - a Parkinson's medication.

"When the salamanders were treated with L-dopa, the production of new dopamine-producing neurons was almost completely inhibited and the animals were unable to recover. However, the converse also applies. If dopamine signalling is blocked, new neurons are born unnecessarily," he said.

Meanwhile, research published in journal Neurology revealed that welding fumes could cause brain injury in the same area of the brain that is affected by Parkinson's disease.

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Posted by Matthew Heap
 

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