Functional Mapping of Cortex-Basal Ganglia Circuits in Parkinson’s Disease with and without Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia

PhD defence by Birgitte Liang Chen Thomsen

Assessment Committee

Professor Christina Kruuse, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Professor Thilo van Eimeren, University of Cologne
Associate professor Rick C. G. Helmich, Radboud University Medical Center

Supervisors

Clinical Professor Hartwig Roman Siebner
Clinical Research Associate Professor Annemette Løkkegaard
Clinical Professor Lisbeth Marner
Senior researcher David Meder

Department

Department of Clinical Medicine

Graduate Programme

Neuroscience

Place

The defence is conducted as a hybrid defence.

To attend the defence in person:
Building: Hvidovre Hospital, main building, indgang Øst, Room: Auditorie 3+4,
Kettegårds Alle 36, 2650 Hvidovre

To attend the defence online:
Please follow the link to attend the defence online:

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/388558949009167?p

MeetingID, if relevant: 388 558 949 009 167
Password, if relevant: S9vw7XW7

Email address to gain access to the thesis: birgittelct@drcmr.dk.
You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.
Recipients of copies of the thesis are not allowed to share or distribute it due to copyright compliance.

Short description of the thesis

Why are movements slow in Parkinson’s disease and what role do dopamine and motivation play?

My PhD explores how Parkinson’s disease alters the brain networks controlling movement and reward. Using a grip-force fMRI task and dopamine transporter PET, we show that dopaminergic degeneration in the putamen is associated with impaired brain activity and reduced motor vigour. We also find that the brain’s response to reward is blunted in Parkinson’s disease and that reduced reward-related activity in the nucleus accumbens is associated with less vigorous movements. Together, the findings highlight how slowness of movement in Parkinson’s disease emerges from an interplay between dopaminergic motor and reward circuits.