Optogenetic approaches to evaluate striatal function in animal models of Parkinson disease

Krystal L Parker; Youngcho Kim; Stephanie L Alberico; Eric B Emmons; Nandakumar S Narayanan

doi:10.31887/DCNS.2016.18.1/kparker

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Optogenetic approaches to evaluate striatal function in animal models of Parkinson disease

Journal article

Open access

Optogenetic approaches to evaluate striatal function in animal models of Parkinson disease

Krystal L Parker, Youngcho Kim, Stephanie L Alberico, Eric B Emmons and Nandakumar S Narayanan

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, Vol.18(1), pp.99-107

03/2016

DOI: 10.31887/DCNS.2016.18.1/kparker

PMCID: PMC4826776

PMID: 27069384

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https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2016.18.1/kparkerView

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Abstract

Optogenetics refers to the ability to control cells that have been genetically modified to express light-sensitive ion channels. The introduction of optogenetic approaches has facilitated the dissection of neural circuits. Optogenetics allows for the precise stimulation and inhibition of specific sets of neurons and their projections with fine temporal specificity. These techniques are ideally suited to investigating neural circuitry underlying motor and cognitive dysfunction in animal models of human disease. Here, we focus on how optogenetics has been used over the last decade to probe striatal circuits that are involved in Parkinson disease, a neurodegenerative condition involving motor and cognitive abnormalities resulting from degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. The precise mechanisms underlying the striatal contribution to both cognitive and motor dysfunction in Parkinson disease are unknown. Although optogenetic approaches are somewhat removed from clinical use, insight from these studies can help identify novel therapeutic targets and may inspire new treatments for Parkinson disease. Elucidating how neuronal and behavioral functions are influenced and potentially rescued by optogenetic manipulation in animal models could prove to be translatable to humans. These insights can be used to guide future brain-stimulation approaches for motor and cognitive abnormalities in Parkinson disease and other neuropsychiatric diseases.

Optogenetics - trends

Animals

Optogenetics - methods

Humans

Corpus Striatum - physiology

Parkinson Disease - diagnosis

Parkinson Disease - metabolism

Parkinson Disease - genetics

Nerve Net - physiology

Disease Models, Animal

Details

Title: Subtitle: Optogenetic approaches to evaluate striatal function in animal models of Parkinson disease
Creators: Krystal L Parker - Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Youngcho Kim - Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Stephanie L Alberico - Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Eric B Emmons - Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Nandakumar S Narayanan - Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, Vol.18(1), pp.99-107
DOI: 10.31887/DCNS.2016.18.1/kparker
PMID: 27069384
PMCID: PMC4826776
NLM abbreviation: Dialogues Clin Neurosci
ISSN: 1294-8322
eISSN: 1958-5969
Publisher: France
Grant note: T32 GM067795 / NIGMS NIH HHS R01 NS089470 / NINDS NIH HHS K01 MH106824 / NIMH NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 03/2016
Academic Unit: Neurology; Psychiatry; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9984003968602771

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