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Updated: May 10, 2026

Gene-environment Interaction Models to Unmask Susceptibility Mechanisms in Parkinson's Disease
Published on: January 7, 2014
[Parkinson's disease: new explanatory concepts focused on the cellular mechanisms]
1Département de neurologie, groupe hospitalier La Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP, 75013 Paris, France. david.grabli@psl.aphp.fr
Abstract:
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a cardinal clinical triad that comprises resting tremor, akinesia and plastic hypertonia. The main lesion is a loss of midbbrain dopaminergic neurons but throughout the disease evolution, other neuronal systems will also degenerate. Starting from a typical clinical vignette, this review aims at illustrating how neurosciences helped to shape our knowledge of Parkinson's disease mechanisms at two complementary levels: first regarding the cellular dysfunctions leading to neuronal death and second regarding the neuronal networks involved in the occurrence of motor and non-motor symptoms. The paradigmatic example of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation that dramatically transformed the treatment of patients with advanced Parkinson disease illustrates why the dialog between fundamental and clinical neurosciences is crucial for therapeutic advances.
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