Main > NEUROLOGY. > Parkinsons Disease > Treatment > Amphetamine Deriv. > Org.: USA. D. (Research) > Report Abstract

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In a study to screen potential therapies for Parkinson s disease, researchers at Org. have produced the first strong evidence that amphetamine derivatives such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, also known as the street drug Ecstasy, shown) play a direct role in signaling muscles to move. Parkinson s disease is marked by the progressive loss of dopamine neurons and corresponding deterioration of muscle control. The researchers, used dopamine-free mice, which exhibit severe muscle rigidity and other Parkinson s-like symptoms, to screen more than 70 compounds. They found that high concentrations of amphetamines, MDMA in particular, reversed some of the symptoms via an unknown mechanism that appears to be unrelated to dopamine, serotonin, or norepinephrine neurotransmission. They believe the motion-inducing effect may be mediated by receptors for endogenous amphetamine-like amines such as phenylethylamine.




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