Corticostriatal plastic changes in experimental L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia

In parkinson's disease (pd),alteration of dopamine- (da-) dependent striatal functions and pulsatile stimulation of da receptors caused by the discontinuous administration of levodopa (l-dopa) lead to a complex cascade of events affecting the postsynaptic striatal neurons that might account for the appearance of l-dopa-induced dyskinesia (lid). experimental models of lid have been widely used and extensively characterized in rodents and electrophysiological studies provided remarkable insights into the inner mechanisms underlying l-dopa-induced corticostriatal plastic changes. here we provide an overview of recent findings that represent a further step into the comprehension of mechanisms underlying maladaptive changes of basal ganglia functions in response to l-dopa and associated to development of lid. © copyright 2012 veronica ghiglieri et al.