Parkinson's disease (PD), also known simply as Parkinson's, is a disorder of the nervous system that affects millions of people worldwide. The nerve cell damage associated with Parkinson's can cause tremors, slowed movements, problems with balance, and many other symptoms which worsen gradually over time. Although there is no cure, there are medications available that can treat PD symptoms.
Some of these medications, however, have previously unexplained side effects – including impaired decision-making that leads to potentially harmful behaviors such as pathological gambling, binge eating and compulsive shopping. Now, in a study published online on 14 August 2024 in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences , researchers at Fujita Health University in Japan, led by Assistant Professor Hisayoshi Kubota from the Division of Behavioral Neuropharmacology, International Center for Brain Science (ICBS), Fujita Health University, have investigated the mechanism by which a drug called pramipexole or PPX impairs the decision-making process in mice with Parkinson's disease. The research was co-authored by Professor Taku Nagai from the Division of Behavioral Neuropharmacology, International Center for Brain Science (ICBS), and Professor Hirohisa Watanabe from the Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, both at Fujita Health University.
To take a closer look at the findings of this study, we first need to understand how PPX works to alleviate PD symptoms. PD mainly results f.