DCCN RUM + TEA by Rick Helmich

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, affecting 60.000 people in the Netherlands and >11 million worldwide. At the time of diagnosis, >50% of dopaminergic cells are already gone, and clinical symptoms continue to progress after dopamine depletion in the putamen is virtually complete. This suggests that there are powerfull compensatory mechanisms in place to delay disease onset and progression. In this talk, I will discuss what these compensatory mechanisms are, why they might fail, and what could potentially be done to preserve and protect them. I will pay particular attention to the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease and how this may shape brain structure and function.