Disorders of movement: a mercifully short primer

The best known biochemical pathway in the brain is probably the nigrostriatal system. Even so, its relationship to Parkinsonism is incompletely understood. Its relationship to Huntington's chorea and the dyskinetic responses is even less well understood. The significance of this system in other related disorders such as Heterogeneous system degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy, and striatonigral degeneration is still more speculative. In an effort to elucidate underlying neuropharmacology, trials with levodopa, amantadine, haloperidol, and lithium have been undertaken. This increasing concentration in biochemical mediators reflects changing patterns in neurology where new emphasis on biochemical pathways is replacing in current interest the emphasis previously placed on more traditional neuro-anatomical pathways such as the classical ascending sensory and descending motor tracts.