ACTIVITY PATTERNS IN A PARKINSON'S MONKEY MODEL
Embargo until
2019-05-01
Date
2015-04-23
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Johns Hopkins University
Abstract
In a study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, 35 female rhesus monkeys were exposed to the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in an effort to establish a plausible animal model for Parkinson's disease progression and treatment using neurotrophic factors. In addition to standard clinical measurements of Parkinson's severity, actigraphy devices recording minute level activity were t to each of the monkeys. This thesis primarily aims to understand how activity patterns in healthy subjects
can predict their susceptibility to developing Parkinson's-like symptoms as a result
of MPTP exposure. Secondarily, we show how subjects respond to neurotrophic factors
in terms of both subjects' activity and through standard clinical metrics.
Description
Keywords
Parkinson, Parkinson's, MPTP, Actigraphy