Abstract
An experimental model of the preclinical stage of Parkinson's disease was induced by double intranasal administration of the proteasome inhibitor lactacystin. The results demonstrated signs of cognitive impairments expressed as impaired non-associative learning. This was related to degeneration of one-third of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area of the midbrain and their axons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Impairment of non-associative learning may be an early non-motor marker of Parkinson's disease indicating the start of neurodegenerative processes in the dopaminergic mesocortical system of the brain.
MeSH terms
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Acetylcysteine / administration & dosage
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Acetylcysteine / analogs & derivatives*
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Acetylcysteine / toxicity
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Animals
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Axons / drug effects
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Axons / physiology
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Behavior, Animal / drug effects
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Cognitive Dysfunction / chemically induced
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Cognitive Dysfunction / physiopathology*
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Disease Models, Animal
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Dopaminergic Neurons / drug effects
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Dopaminergic Neurons / pathology
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Humans
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Learning / drug effects
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Learning / physiology*
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Mesencephalon / drug effects
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Mesencephalon / physiopathology
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Parkinson Disease, Secondary / chemically induced
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Parkinson Disease, Secondary / physiopathology*
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Prefrontal Cortex / drug effects
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Prefrontal Cortex / physiopathology
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Rats
Substances
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lactacystin
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Acetylcysteine