Polio and Dopamine Producing Neurons
Dr. Bruno’s Original Post: Polio survivors, like Parkinson’s patients, make too little dopamine because the poliovirus killed dopamine producing neurons in the brain activating system and causes impaired attention. Along with attention problems, this study may help us understand why polio survivors report trouble with immediate or “scratch pad” memory: “…dopamine neurons play a critical role in the formation of episodic memory, which allows people to remember such things as where they parked the car in the morning and what they had for dinner last night.”
This is a summary of the article.
Study Sheds Light on How "Dopamine Neurons" Contribute to Memory Formation in Humans
Article ID: 693853 2-May-2018 6:00 AM EDT
Source Newsroom: Cedars-Sinai
“Research from Cedars-Sinai sheds light on how the human brain rapidly forms new memories, providing insights into potential new treatments for memory disorders. A new study examined neurons that produce dopamine, a compound that acts as a transmitter for nerve impulses. It found that these dopamine neurons play a critical role in the formation of episodic memory, which allows people to remember such things as where they parked the car in the morning and what they had for dinner last night. “
“While not directly tied to research on specific ailments, the findings provide new information relevant to the understanding of certain diseases, Rutishauser said. "Dopamine neurons degrade in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, which in addition to motor symptoms is often also accompanied by cognitive issues such as memory problems," he said. "What this paper shows is that dopamine neurons activate for novel stimuli. This short 'burst' of dopamine is what triggers learning." “
“A common treatment for patients with Parkinson's, for instance, is to take medications that increase dopamine to a steady level. But those drugs do not facilitate the short bursts that help in the formation of memory. "Our work reveals new avenues for treatments that can be explored, including those that restore short bursts of dopamine or that otherwise increase activity analogous to what dopamine is thought to do," Rutishauser said. “