In patients with Parkinson’s disease, gait disorders and difficulty with balance are often caused by the degeneration of a specific type of neuron, called cholinergic neurons, in a region of the brainstem called the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN). Damage to this same population of neurons in the PPN is also linked to reward-based behaviours and disorders, such as addiction.  Because billions of neurons are packed into … Continue reading New technique begins to map and untangle neuronal networks in Parkinson’s disease.