Chemogenetic Control of Striatal Astrocytes Improves Parkinsonian Motor Deficits in Mice.

ABSTRACT: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic nigrostriatal inputs, which causes striatal network dysfunction and leads to pronounced motor deficits. Recent evidence highlights astrocytes as a potential local source for striatal neuromodulation. There is substantial evidence for norepinephrine-mediated recruitment of cortical astrocyte activity during movement and locomotion. However, it is unclear how astrocytes in the striatum, a region devoid of norepinephrine neuromodulatory inputs, respond during locomotion. Moreover, it remains unknown how dopamine loss affects striatal astrocyte activity and whether astrocyte activity regulates behavioral deficits in PD. We addressed these questions by performing astrocyte-specific calcium recordings and manipulations

SUBMITTER: Evans WR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12012328 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature