Spontaneous asymmetric circling behavior in hemi-parkinsonism; a human equivalent of the lesioned-circling rodent behavior.
When induced experimentally in rodents, hemispheric asymmetry in basal ganglia dopamine results in spontaneous asymmetric circling toward the hemisphere with the lower level of dopamine. A similar asymmetry has long been thought to exist in the brains of hemi-Parkinsonian patients. Using an electronic turn counter, we demonstrated that, like unilaterally lesioned rats, and without being aware of it, five ambulating outpatients with hemi-Parkinson's disease exhibit spontaneous rotation toward the hemisphere containing less striatal dopaminergic activity.
D000368:Aged; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000503:physiopathology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*
D004298:Dopamine