Biological psychiatry
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Biological psychiatry · Jan 2006
Comparative StudyERK phosphorylation and FosB expression are associated with L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in hemiparkinsonian mice.
The dopamine precursor 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-L-alanine (L-DOPA) is currently the most efficacious noninvasive therapy for Parkinson's disease. A major complication of this therapy, however, is the appearance of the abnormal involuntary movements known as dyskinesias. We have developed a model of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias in mice that reproduces the main clinical features of dyskinesia in humans. ⋯ This model provides a system in which genetic manipulation of individual genes can be used to elucidate the molecular mechanisms responsible for the development and expression of dyskinesia.