Novel vistas on brain dopamine   Prof. Carmen Cavada  (Univ. Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.)

The goal of the Symposium is to present current, timely concepts on the location, mechamisms of action, and consequences of dysfunction of dopamine in the brain. This goal will be directly addressed by the first three speakers. MA García-Cabezas is a young licensed Pathologist who has done his PhD Thesis in C Cavada’s lab working on the distribution of dopaminergic axons in the primate thalamus. This will be the main focus of his presentation. It will be preceded by a brief summary presentation of the brain dopaminergic systems. AA Grace has made important contributions on dopamine release mechanisms, which will be the core of his contribution. JA Obeso is a reputed neurologist specializing in Parkinson’s disease who will address the effects in humans of dopaminergic dysfunction in the motor domain and beyond.     Professor Hornykiewicz’s contribution represents the golden finale to the Symposium. His personal account on the discovery of the neuropathology of Parkinson’s disease is not only delightful; it is most educational and stimulating. Prof. Hornykiewicz is still quite active in research and is a brilliant speaker.     The following are some recent contributions by the three first speakers relevant to the Symposium topic: 1) Sánchez-González MA, García-Cabezas MA, Rico B, Cavada C. The primate thalamus is a key target for brain dopamine.. J Neurosci. 2005 Jun 29;25(26):6076-83. 1) García-Cabezas, MA, Rico B, Sánchez-González MA, Cavada C. Distribution of the dopamine innervation in the human and monkey thalamus. Submitted, under re-review. 2) Goto Y, Grace AA. Dopaminergic modulation of limbic and cortical drive of nucleus accumbens in goal-directed behavior. Nat Neurosci. 2005 Jun; 8(6): 805-12. 2) Lodge DJ, Grace AA. The laterodorsal tegmentum is essential for burst firing of ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Mar 28;103(13):5167-72 3) Lang AE, Obeso JA. Challenges in Parkinson's disease: restoration of the nigrostriatal dopamine system is not enough. Lancet Neurol. 2004 May; 3(5): 309-16. Review. 3) Alonso-Frech F, Zamarbide I, Alegre M, Rodriguez-Oroz MC, Guridi J, Manrique M, Valencia M, Artieda J, Obeso JA. Slow oscillatory activity and levodopa-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson's disease. Brain. 2006 May 9; [Epub ahead of print] Miguel Ángel García-Cabezas: Dopamine reaches further brain domains: the innervation of the monkey and human thalamus. Anthony A. Grace: Tonic and phasic dopamine system regulation of information flow. José A. Obeso: Motor and behavioral consequences of abnormal dopaminergic stimulation in humans. Oleh Hornykiewic: The discovery of brain dopamine deficit in Parkinson’s disease: the story of an eyewitness.