title: Mental disturbances in Parkinson's disease and related disorders: the role of excitotoxins.
abstract: The pathomechanism behind the neurodegenerative process in Parkinson's disease involves damage to the dopaminergic and nondopaminergic systems with dysfunctioning of the dopaminergic-glutamatergic circuitry in the basal ganglional neural processing. Excitotoxicity may contribute markedly to neuronal damage and loss. Beside the cardinal motor signs of the disease, non-motor symptoms, including mental disturbances, are characteristic features of the clinical course. Affective or autonomic changes may precede motor symptoms. Neuroprotective drugs are not yet available. However, new modes of therapy targeting the defective dopaminergic-glutamatergic system might also be effective both for symptomatologic treatment and for neuroprotection. Alterations in the kynurenine pathway have been demonstrated in Parkinson's disease. Preclinical studies suggest that intervention in the kynurenine pathway may result in neuroprotection and additionally alleviate the symptoms through influencing the glutamatergic neurotransmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Izabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Obál
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Zsófia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Majláth
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: József
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toldi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary Neuroscience Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vécsei
mesh_terms: D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007737:Kynurenine / Q000378:metabolism; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009498:Neurotoxins; D007737:Kynurenine; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D004298:Dopamine
keywords: Parkinson's disease; dopaminergic dysfunction; excitotoxicity; kynurenine pathway; mental disturbances; neuroprotection; non-motor symptoms