Dopaminergic Degeneration Differentially Modulates Primary Motor Cortex Activity and Motor Behavior in Hemiparkinsonian Rats.

ABSTRACT: Background/Goal: Parkinson's disease (PD) disrupts dopaminergic transmission, leading to motor deficits and altered activity in the primary motor cortex (M1). While M1 modulation is critical for motor control, its response to dopaminergic degeneration and treatment remains unclear. This study aimed to characterize M1 neuronal activity and motor behavior in hemiparkinsonian rats using in vivo calcium imaging across naïve, lesioned, and levodopa-treated states.

Methods

Thirteen Sprague Dawley rats were injected with GCaMP6f in the M1 and implanted with a GRIN lens and guide cannula targeting the medial forebrain bundle. Calcium imaging and motor behavior were assessed longitudinally using a single pellet reaching test (SPRT) before and after unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesio

SUBMITTER: Boschen SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12562322 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature