Treatment of Parkinson with novel technology
Scientists claimed to identify a specific group of cells that can be direct target of deep brain stimulation (DBS) that is Parkinson’s treatment. The NSF-funded technology, termed optogenetics, that enabled to precisely control individual components of the circuit implicated in Parkinson’s disease. The novel technology uses light-activated proteins, originally isolated from bacteria, in combination with genetic approaches to control specific parts of the brain.
This study is vast improvement over previous methods because it allows researchers to precisely stimulate neurons & measure the effect of treatment simultaneously in animals with Parkinson’s-like symptoms. The symptoms of disease could be reduced by preferentially activating neurons that link to the subthalamic nucleus region of the brain.
The researchers first treated these specific cells in a way that made them sensitive to stimulation by blue light & then implanted an optical fibre in the brain. When researchers rapidly flashed blue light inside the animals’ brains the disease symptoms improved. Treating with slower flashes of light actually made the symptoms worse. Targeting other kinds of cells had no effect at all, indicating both proper cell type & stimulation frequencies are crucial components of effective treatment.
Flashing blue light on portions of the same neurons found closer to the outer surface of the brain had an effect similar to treatment deep within the brain, raising the possibility that researchers may be able to develop treatments that are less invasive than current options. Treatments like deep brain stimulation (DBS) are unrefined, in that they stimulate all of the cells or instruments.
The optogenetic approach allows controlling stimulation of specific cells in the brain on the appropriate timescale, much like a conductor directing specific sections of an instrument at the appropriate time.
This study is vast improvement over previous methods because it allows researchers to precisely stimulate neurons & measure the effect of treatment simultaneously in animals with Parkinson’s-like symptoms. The symptoms of disease could be reduced by preferentially activating neurons that link to the subthalamic nucleus region of the brain.
The researchers first treated these specific cells in a way that made them sensitive to stimulation by blue light & then implanted an optical fibre in the brain. When researchers rapidly flashed blue light inside the animals’ brains the disease symptoms improved. Treating with slower flashes of light actually made the symptoms worse. Targeting other kinds of cells had no effect at all, indicating both proper cell type & stimulation frequencies are crucial components of effective treatment.
Flashing blue light on portions of the same neurons found closer to the outer surface of the brain had an effect similar to treatment deep within the brain, raising the possibility that researchers may be able to develop treatments that are less invasive than current options. Treatments like deep brain stimulation (DBS) are unrefined, in that they stimulate all of the cells or instruments.
The optogenetic approach allows controlling stimulation of specific cells in the brain on the appropriate timescale, much like a conductor directing specific sections of an instrument at the appropriate time.
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