Dopamine prompts brain support cells to boost movement-control neurons, study suggests

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A Northwestern Medicine study reveals that dopamine prompts astrocytes to support movement-control neurons, challenging traditional views. This finding offers new therapeutic targets for Parkinson's disease.

A new Northwestern Medicine study challenges traditional ideas about how dopamine influences movement, according to findings published in Science Advances. The study, led by D. James Surmeier, Ph.D., the Nathan Smith Davis Professor and chair of neuroscience, revealed an unexpected role for support cells called astrocytes and pointed to potential new therapeutic targets for Parkinson's disease.