中国神经再生研究(英文版) ›› 2026, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (7): 2942-2943.doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-25-00636

• 观点:退行性病与再生 • 上一篇    下一篇

利用突触可塑性持续改善帕金森病的运动功能

  

  • 出版日期:2026-07-15 发布日期:2026-03-27

Harnessing synaptic plasticity for sustained motor improvement in Parkinson’s disease

Srdjan Sumarac, Nader Pouratian#, Aryn H. Gittis#, Luka Milosevic*, #   

  1. Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
    Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
    Department of Neurological Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
    Department of Biological Sciences & Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
  • Online:2026-07-15 Published:2026-03-27
  • Contact: Luka Milosevic, PhD, luka.milosevic@mail.utoronto.ca.

摘要: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4051-5397 (Luka Milosevic)

Abstract: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established therapeutic intervention for people with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD) and is increasingly being utilized for other neurological disorders. Although effective in alleviating motor symptoms and reducing medication requirements, DBS has undergone minimal conceptual evolution and still relies on continuous high-frequency electrical stimulation. In Parkinson’s disease (PD), this persistent stimulation may cause adverse effects, including dysarthria, stimulation-induced dyskinesia, impulsivity, and mood alterations. Additionally, the continuous energy demand of current DBS systems accelerates battery depletion, necessitating more frequent battery charging or battery replacement surgeries, increasing risks, burden, and costs. Basic neuroscience research has long demonstrated that exogenous electrical stimulation can induce persistent changes to synaptic connections, known as longterm plasticity. This raises the question of whether continuous DBS could be replaced by stimulation paradigms leveraging plasticity for therapeutic effects that persist even after stimulation ceases. Such approaches have recently been demonstrated in Parkinsonian rodent models (Figure 1A and C) and PwPD (Figure 1B and D). In general, the field still lacks robust bench-to-bedside translation, with limited incorporation of mechanistic insights into clinical DBS protocols. A critical re-evaluation of existing DBS strategies, with an emphasis on harnessing lasting physiologically-informed plastic changes to modulate circuit function, may yield more effective therapeutic strategies that minimize stimulation-related side effects and energy demands to reduce therapeutic burden, risks, and costs.