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Relatively high levels of dopamine in nucleus accumbens of levodopa treated patients with Parkinson's disease

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Summary

The dopamine levels were found to be low in the putamen and relatively high in the nucleus accumbens in two Parkinson disease patients treated with levodopa up to the time of their deaths. Tyrosine hydroxylase immunocytochemistry revealed a severe degeneration of the nigro-striatal dopamine neuronal system in both postmortem brains. The relatively high dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens may be responsible for the occurrence of dyskinesias.

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Author notes

  1. M. Goldstein

    Present address: Departments of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, New York, N.Y., USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Neurology, New York University Medical Center, New York, N.Y., USA

    A. Lieberman

  2. Departments of Pathology, New York University Medical Center, New York, N.Y., USA

    J. Pearson

Authors
  1. M. Goldstein
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  2. A. Lieberman
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  3. J. Pearson
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Goldstein, M., Lieberman, A. & Pearson, J. Relatively high levels of dopamine in nucleus accumbens of levodopa treated patients with Parkinson's disease. J. Neural Transmission 54, 129–134 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01249286

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01249286

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