The dopamine
neurotransmitter
cannot reach the
brain, as the blood-brain
barrier blocks it out.
Consequently, doctors
use an initial stage,
levodopa, which can
cross the barrier.When the signal
reaches the end
of a neuron, the
substance is passed to the
next neuron, where it
binds to a receptor,
activating an electric
signal, and the message
has been passed on.In brain neurons,
levodopa is
converted into
dopamine. Subsequently,
the neurotransmitter
moves along the neuron,
passing on messages
concerning body motion
and motor functions.DRUG PROVIDES ACCESS TO THE BRAINThe dopamine neurotransmitter makes
brain cells communicate and control our
muscles. If we lack it, doctors must
use a replacement to get to
the brain.CLAUS LUNAULevodopa
is converted
into dopamine.LEVODOPA
PASSESDOPAMINE
REJECTEDMiracle drug
is still popular
T
oday, the most efficient drug for
Parkinson’s patients is levodopa – the
very same drug that neurologist Oliver
Sacks tested on sleepy sickness patients at
the Beth Abraham Hospital in New York in- Levodopa is a natural substance
that is normally abundant in our bodies
and which the brain converts into the
neurotransmitter dopamine. The chemical
messenger passes messages from one
nerve cell to another, sending signals to
the motor cortex, so our motions become
fast, flexible, and accurate.
People who suffer from Parkinson’s
disease lack dopamine, causing them to
shake, move slowly, and develop rigid
muscles. Levodopa relieves their
symptoms, but the effect is typically
reduced after some time – like in the Beth
Abraham Hospital, where the sleepy
sickness patients lost their ability to move
again shortly after the treatment.The drug that performed miracles in sleepy sickness patients
in New York in 1969 is used for Parkinson’s disease today.Blood vesselLevodopaNeuronDopamine Blood-brain barrierRed blood cellsOLIVER SACKS woke up patients,
who had been given up, with levodopa.LUIGI NOVI/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS123