Mechanisms of Olfactory Deficits in Parkinson's Disease
Abstract
Most Parkinsons disease patients lose their sense of smell, sometimes decades before they develop the symptoms typicallyassociated with the disease, such as tremors and difficulty walking. Olfactory deficits, hyposmia or anosmia, is now recognized as a featureof early Parkinsons disease and an indication that the disease is progressing insidiously. In this FY16 PRP Focused Idea Awardapplication, we will examine the underlying causes for olfactory deficits seen in Parkinsons patients. The focus of our application isdirectly in line with the Focus Area of Identification and evaluation of mechanisms in early Parkinsons disease involving olfactory,microbiome, gastrointestinal, and/or autonomic nervous systems. In this grant, we will examine how a protein known as alpha-synuclein,that forms abnormal deposits that are a signature of Parkinsons disease, impacts nerve connections or synapses in the olfactory system. Wesuggest that in Parkinsons disease, due to the presence of these abnormal alpha-synuclein deposits, both the structure and function ofolfactory nerve connections is not proper. We will examine this question through our complementary expertise in the olfactory system andalpha-synuclein biology, using high resolution microscopic methods on mouse models that express mutant forms of alpha-synuclein thatare linked to the disease. When we have successfully finished this study, we anticipate having a detailed picture of the synapticabnormalities in the olfactory system in an animal model of early Parkinsons disease. This will allow us to treat the loss of smell in earlyParkinsons disease patients in 5-10 years. But more importantly, as the nose and the olfactory system are thought to be a conduit throughwhich alpha-synuclein deposits spreads, eventually reaching the mid-brain, a greater understanding of this pathway will permit us to slowthe progression or even prevent Parkinsons disease.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1106292
Entities
People
- Charles A Greer
- Sreeganga S Chandra
Organizations
- Yale University