Effekte einer Langzeit-Therapie mit Pramipexol oder Levodopa auf das nicht-motorische Verhalten im 6-Hydroxydopamin-Mausmodell des idiopathischen Parkinson-Syndroms

Non-motor symptoms (NMS) such as cognitive impairment and depression are often observed in idiopathic parkinson´s syndrome (IPS) and can precede the onset of motor symptoms for years. Therefore, to understand the underlying pathological alteration in the brain could help to diagnose the disease before the appearance of motor symptoms, and to further apply potentially disease-modifying treatment. In this study we investigated the long-term effects of Levodopa (L-Dopa) and pramipexole (PPX), a dopamine agonist, for the first time in an acute mouse model of bilateral intranigral 6-OHDA lesion, in order to assess the impact of an early dopaminergic treatment on NMS. Interestingly, PPX showed an antidepressant and anxiolytic effect in the Forced Swim Test and Social Interaction Test. However, there was no significant change in learning and memory function (investigated in Morris Water Maze and Novel Object Recognition Test) after dopamine depletion and dopamine replacement, respectively. The results of this study underline the importance of a dopaminergic therapy already in early stages of IPS to minimize the occurrence of NMS and thereby improve the quality of life of the affected patients.