Animals Research at UBC

Primates and Parkinson’s

Primates and Parkinson's

Research using monkeys has been critical to developing a life-changing treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

For decades, the optimal treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD), a debilitating brain disease that causes uncontrolled muscle movement, was a drug called Levodopa, originally developed using rabbits.

Movement is normally controlled by dopamine, a chemical that carries signals between the nerves in the brain. PD symptoms arise when the brain no longer produces this chemical. Levodopa is used to replace the functioning of dopamine.

However, for about half of patients, the drug loses its effectiveness within five years. An alternative and long-lasting treatment was urgently needed.

Through research using monkeys, scientists developed a surgical treatment called deep brain stimulation (DBS). It uses an implanted, battery-operated device, similar to a heart pacemaker, called a neurostimulator. The device stimulates targeted areas in the brain that control movement and blocks signals that cause tremor and other symptoms.

Although most patients still need to take medication after undergoing DBS, many patients experience considerable reduction of their PD symptoms and are able to greatly reduce their medications. Parkinson’s affects approximately 100,000 Canadians, according to Parkinson Society Canada.

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