New developments in the pathology of Parkinson's disease

Recent data on neuronal cytoskeletal pathology of Lewy bodies, a major anatomical hallmark of PD, suggest pathological phosphorylation of neurofilament proteins with ubiquitination, but their relation to neuromelanin and cell degeneration is unknown. Quantitative morphological studies in PD indicate that in addition to nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathways, other dopaminergic, noradrenergic, serotonergic, and cholinergic systems are involved, causing multiple neuromediator dysfunctions. Dementia in PD is not only related to cortical AD pathology, but also to a variety of central nervous system lesions.