New Delhi, Aug 28
Scientists have showed that when brain cells are constantly overactivated for weeks on end, they degenerate and ultimately die, a finding that may help explain what goes awry in the brains of people with Parkinson's disease.
Researchers have long known that a particular subset of neurons dies as Parkinson's disease progresses, but they weren't sure why.
The new study, published in the journal eLife, shows that in mice, chronic activation of these neurons can directly cause their demise.
The scientists hypothesise that in Parkinson's, neuron overactivation could be triggered by a combination of genetic factors, environmental toxins, and the need to compensate for other neurons that are lost.
"An overarching question in the Parkinson's research field has been why the cells that are most vulnerable to the disease die," said Ken Nakamura, investigator at Gladstone Institutes in the US.
"Answering that question could help us understand why the disease occurs and point toward new ways to treat it," Nakamura added.