- The researchers in this study are trying to treat the motor problems and issues associated with the Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is caused by a lack of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter in the brain. Dopamine is directly connected to movement, thus a lack of dopamine can cause some motor issues. As stated in article, “a low level of dopamine causes the basal ganglia to severely inhibit target neurons in the thalamus, called an inhibition.”
- Optogenetics is the usage of lights to control specific target neurons in the brain. The scientists found out that when signals from are more active in the basal ganglia, the neurons in the thalamus become hyperactive. This hyperaction causes the muscle stiffness and muscle tremors that are usually seen with parkinson’s patients. However, when they used the light to suppress this hyperactivity, movement in the mice became normal again.
- Based on the results, I think the light treatment did in fact cure the motor issues in the mice with parkinson’s disease. However, this treatment was used only to confirm that this certain hyperactivity of neurons was the cause of the muscle tremors. As a result, this study was more for a research purpose than a treatment purpose.
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