Most neurodegenerative diseases have animal parallels such as Alzheimer’s in chimpanzees, multiple sclerosis in macaques, Lou Gehrig’s disease in dogs, but nothing like Parkinson’s has ever been seen in any species but humans. Synuclein and the Coelacanth: The Molecular and Evolutionary Origins of Parkinson's Disease delves into the causes of Parkinson’s disease and how the evolution of the human brain has left us uniquely vulnerable. Genetic risk factors, environmental toxins, and neuroanatomy are woven together in a multidisciplinary discussion that ranges from subatomic physics to socioeconomics. Connections between neurodegenerative disease, neural pathways, and innate immunity are explored. Finally, the author discusses new therapeutic agents are being developed that hope to go beyond just treating the symptoms of Parkinson’s and actually halt the disease.
1. Synuclein and the Coelacanth - p. Page i 2. Cover - p. Page i 3. Front Matter - p. Page ii 4. Table of Contents - p. Page iii 5. Copyright - p. Page iv 6. Dedication - p. Page v 7. Preface - p. Page vi 8. Acknowledgments - p. Page vii 9. List of Illustrations - p. Page viii 10. Chapter 1 : Out of the Depths – The synuclein proteins, their evolution, and the genetic code - p. Page viii 11. Chapter 2 : Bad News, Good News – The demographics and genetic and environmental risk factors for Parkinson's disease - p. Page 10 12. Chapter 3 : The Family Tremor – REM sleep behaviour disorder and essential tremor - p. Page 31 13. Chapter 4 : The Knockout – The history of the knockout mouse and the surprising results for the synuclein proteins - p. Page 46 14. Chapter 5 : Shapeshifter – The molecular structure and normal biological role of synuclein in neurons - p. Page 67 15. Chapter 6 : A New Kind of Pathogen – Prion diseases and amyloid fibrils - p. Page 86 16. Chapter 7 : Addicts – Neurotoxins that cause parkinsonism and the search for analogues in the environment - p. Page 108 17. Chapter 8 : Attack of the Oligomers – Alpha-synuclein amyloid oligomers and their pathogenic roles - p. Page 126 18. Chapter 9 : An Evolutionary Affair – The connection between Gaucher disease and Parkinson's disease - p. Page 154 19. Chapter 10 : Monkey Brains – Evolution of the human brain and the vulnerability of the substantia nigra - p. Page 178 20. Chapter 11 : A Troublesome Subject – Exploring the possible connection between intelligence and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's diseases - p. Page 190 21. Chapter 12 : Appendix – Alpha-synuclein in the gut, Crohn’s disease, and the possible protective role of the synucleins in innate immune response - p. Page 206 22. Chapter 13 : Circuitry–The discovery of neural pathways involved in Parkinson’s disease and deep brain stimulation - p. Page 224 23. Chapter 14 : Seeking a Magic Bullet–the search for new Parkinson’s disease therapeutic agents - p. Page 240 24. Chapter 15 : Journey's End – A recap of the chapters, the final conclusions, and new directions to explore - p. Page 257 25. GENERIC-TITLE - p. Page 269 26. Index - p. Page 269
Most neurodegenerative diseases have animal parallels such as Alzheimer’s in chimpanzees, multiple sclerosis in macaques, Lou Gehrig’s disease in dogs, but nothing like Parkinson’s has ever been seen in any species but humans. Synuclein and the Coelacanth: The Molecular and Evolutionary Origins of Parkinson's Disease delves into the causes of Parkinson’s disease and how the evolution of the human brain has left us uniquely vulnerable. Genetic risk factors, environmental toxins, and neuroanatomy are woven together in a multidisciplinary discussion that ranges from subatomic physics to socioeconomics. Connections between neurodegenerative disease, neural pathways, and innate immunity are explored. Finally, the author discusses new therapeutic agents are being developed that hope to go beyond just treating the symptoms of Parkinson’s and actually halt the disease.
1. Synuclein and the Coelacanth - p. Page i 2. Cover - p. Page i 3. Front Matter - p. Page ii 4. Table of Contents - p. Page iii 5. Copyright - p. Page iv 6. Dedication - p. Page v 7. Preface - p. Page vi 8. Acknowledgments - p. Page vii 9. List of Illustrations - p. Page viii 10. Chapter 1 : Out of the Depths – The synuclein proteins, their evolution, and the genetic code - p. Page viii 11. Chapter 2 : Bad News, Good News – The demographics and genetic and environmental risk factors for Parkinson's disease - p. Page 10 12. Chapter 3 : The Family Tremor – REM sleep behaviour disorder and essential tremor - p. Page 31 13. Chapter 4 : The Knockout – The history of the knockout mouse and the surprising results for the synuclein proteins - p. Page 46 14. Chapter 5 : Shapeshifter – The molecular structure and normal biological role of synuclein in neurons - p. Page 67 15. Chapter 6 : A New Kind of Pathogen – Prion diseases and amyloid fibrils - p. Page 86 16. Chapter 7 : Addicts – Neurotoxins that cause parkinsonism and the search for analogues in the environment - p. Page 108 17. Chapter 8 : Attack of the Oligomers – Alpha-synuclein amyloid oligomers and their pathogenic roles - p. Page 126 18. Chapter 9 : An Evolutionary Affair – The connection between Gaucher disease and Parkinson's disease - p. Page 154 19. Chapter 10 : Monkey Brains – Evolution of the human brain and the vulnerability of the substantia nigra - p. Page 178 20. Chapter 11 : A Troublesome Subject – Exploring the possible connection between intelligence and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's diseases - p. Page 190 21. Chapter 12 : Appendix – Alpha-synuclein in the gut, Crohn’s disease, and the possible protective role of the synucleins in innate immune response - p. Page 206 22. Chapter 13 : Circuitry–The discovery of neural pathways involved in Parkinson’s disease and deep brain stimulation - p. Page 224 23. Chapter 14 : Seeking a Magic Bullet–the search for new Parkinson’s disease therapeutic agents - p. Page 240 24. Chapter 15 : Journey's End – A recap of the chapters, the final conclusions, and new directions to explore - p. Page 257 25. GENERIC-TITLE - p. Page 269 26. Index - p. Page 269
