Chapter 37 - Morphological Plasticity in the Striatum Associated With Dopamine Dysfunction

Abstract

The main entrance for information to the basal ganglia is the striatum. Striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) receive glutamate and dopamine inputs that are topographically organized on their dendritic spines. The configuration of the striatal synapses confers on dopamine a central role in regulating spine morphogenesis on MSNs. Dopamine can thus regulate the induction of long-term changes in the strength of corticostriatal synapses, which are implicated in learning and other behavioral plasticity. Indeed, changes in basal ganglia function in Parkinson's disease (PD) or drug addiction are associated with abnormal remodeling of the dendritic arbor of MSNs. In this chapter, we will summarize findings from patients and animal models of PD and drug addiction. We present new results obtained with state-of-the art technology, two-photon microscopy, and Lucifer yellow intracellular injections in identified striatal neurons, which allow the highest currently available resolution of single cell dendritic arbor reconstruction and spine morphology. Images reconstructed with this technique indicate a key role for dopamine in remodeling dendritic and spine morphology in MSNs.