Unit 3 - Neurodegenerative Diseases

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be able to describe how motor commands are relayed to skeletal muscle and the brain circuitry that controls them

be able to explain the role of the basal ganglia and dopaminergic systems in motor movement

Dopamine - a type of catecholamine (derived from tyrosine, so Tyrosine Hydroxylase is a rate-limiting enzyme)

DA is important for mood, motivation, reward, and motor movement

DA neurons live in substantia nigra (mid-brain) and project into striatum (containing caudate and putamen = basal ganglia)

Thus, DA influences cortical input to basal ganglia

be able to describe happens at the neuromuscular junction

Parts Involved:

Substantia nigra (SN) - filled with DA neurons and sends projections to striatum

Striatum: caudate and putamen (BG) = receive info from striatum and cortex

Globus pallidus: internal and external segment --> send info to thalamus

be able to describe the basics of Parkinson’s disease (PD)

be able to explain what Lewy bodies are and how they are formed

be able to describe classic and novel

treatments for Parkinson’s disease and be able to explain HOW they work

as a treatment to alleviate symptoms

be able to describe the basics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

be able to explain the proposed causes, including excess glutamate and excitotoxicity and some of the implicated genes

be able to explain how existing therapies work to help alleviate symptoms or slow degeneration

be able to describe the basics of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)

be able to describe the pathologies that confirm Alzheimer’s disease

be able to describe where these would

be found within the brain and explain how damage in these areas might

produce the hallmark clinical features of AD

be able to explain the role of amyloid precursor protein and presenilin in early-onset AD

be able to describe the risk factors for late-onset and sporadic AD

be able to describe current therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and explain HOW they work