Does Parkinsons disease impact habitual actions? Parkinsons NSW - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Does Parkinson’s disease impact habitual actions? Parkinson’s NSW Public Forum Dr Teri Furlong Neuroscience Research Australia

Non-motor symptoms: thinking and memory Difficulty paying attention Difficulty concentrating Slowness of thinking Difficulty multi-tasking or task switching

Healthy Parkinson’s disease Biggest impact on the putamen Dopamine neurons (brain cells) in the substania nigra

Habits are good! Habits allow you to automate behaviour and multi-task Habits depend on the putamen Do people with PD have trouble learning habits?

How do you measure habits? • Habitual actions are automated • Goal-directed actions require thinking about consequences

How do you measure habits? • Habitual actions are automated • Goal-directed actions require thinking about consequences

How do you measure habits? • Habitual actions are automated • Goal-directed actions require thinking about consequences

How do you measure habits? • Habitual actions are automated • Goal-directed actions require thinking about consequences

How do you measure habits? • Habitual actions are automated • Goal-directed actions require thinking about consequences

How do you measure habits? • Habitual actions are automated • Goal-directed actions require thinking about consequences

How do you measure habits? • Habitual actions are automated • Goal-directed actions require thinking about consequences

How do you measure habits? • Habitual actions are automated • Goal-directed actions require thinking about consequences

How do you measure habits? • Habitual actions are automated • Goal-directed actions require thinking about consequences

How do you measure habits? • Habitual actions are automated • Goal-directed actions require thinking about consequences

How do you measure habits? • Habitual actions are automated • Goal-directed actions require thinking about consequences

How do you measure habits? • Habitual actions are automated • Goal-directed actions require thinking about consequences

How do you Goal-directed action measure habits? • Habitual actions are automated Habitual action • Goal-directed actions require thinking about consequences

Habitual action Repeated actions lead to habits Goal-directed action No habits without dopamine

Habitual action Repeated actions lead to habits Goal-directed action No habits without dopamine

Habitual action Repeated actions lead to habits Goal-directed action No habits without dopamine

Next steps • Determine whether humans have trouble developing habits • Determine if current medications help restore habits (e.g., L-dopa) • Chemogenetics

chemogenetics • Insert receptors into brain cells • Receptors are responsive to a special chemical • Consume chemical in a tablet • Activate the putamen

Summa mmary Can chemo- Repeated No habits genetics actions lead without restore to habits dopamine habits?

Does Parkinson’s disease impact habitual actions? Parkinson’s NSW Public Forum Dr Teri Furlong Neuroscience Research Australia