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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Characterization Of Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 And Its Role In Parkinson's Disease Pathogenesis Using Drosophila, Antonio Joel Tito Jr., Sheng Zhang Dec 2016

Characterization Of Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 And Its Role In Parkinson's Disease Pathogenesis Using Drosophila, Antonio Joel Tito Jr., Sheng Zhang

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by the selective loss of the dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia nigra pars compacta region of the brain. PD is also the most common neurodegenerative disorder and the second most common movement disorder. PD patients exhibit the cardinal symptoms, including tremor of the extremities, rigidity, slowness of movement, and postural instability, after 70-80% of DA neurons degenerate. It is, therefore, imperative to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved in the selective degeneration of DA neurons. Although increasing numbers of PD genes have been identified, why these largely widely expressed genes induce …


Dopamine Effects Of Stimulant And Non-Stimulant Drugs Used In The Treatment Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Preeti Chalwadi Nov 2016

Dopamine Effects Of Stimulant And Non-Stimulant Drugs Used In The Treatment Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Preeti Chalwadi

Theses and Dissertations

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is thought to be associated with dysfunction of ascending catecholamine neuronal systems, particularly dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE). Dysfunction of these catecholamine neurons innervating the prefrontal cortex is hypothesized to underlie impaired executive functions. Dysfunction of the DA neurons innervating the striatum is additionally hypothesized to underlie deficits in motivation and reinforcement learning. However, mechanisms of action of therapeutic drugs used for treating ADHD have mainly focused on catecholamines in the prefrontal cortex and have not adequately addressed the role played by DA signaling in the striatum. Stimulants such as Adderall® and Ritalin® are chemically …