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Systems Biology of Parkinson's Disease pp 111–129Cite as

Real-Time In Vivo Sensing of Neurochemicals

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Abstract

The brain is one of the most complex biological structures known to science. How it works or, more specifically, how the physical brain gives rise to the properties of mind remains an unanswered question. However, it is clear that many drugs used empirically in the treatment of neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, work through their specific chemical actions on nerve cells in the brain. Thus, if we are to understand brain function and drug performance, there is a need to measure chemical signalling in the brain. Measurement technologies for neurochemical studies in the living brain include spectroscopy, such as NMR, sampling techniques, such as cerebral microdialysis, and the topic of this chapter - in situ electrochemical monitoring using long-term in vivo electrochemistry (LIVE). With LIVE, a microvoltammetric sensor is implanted in a specific brain region to monitor local changes in the concentration of specific substances in the extracellular fluid. It can do this with sub-second time resolution and with measurement periods extending over many hours, potentially days. Spatially, localised, high-temporal resolution, long-term sensing of this kind allows investigations of the functions of chemicals in neuronal signalling, drug actions and well-defined behaviours. In this chapter, we give an overview of the different electrochemical sensor types, the techniques used and the principal neurochemicals potentially associated with Parkinson’s disease that can be measured in vivo.

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Abbreviations

3MT:

3-Methoxytyramine

5HIAA:

5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid

5HT:

5-Hydroxytryptamine

AA:

Ascorbic acid

CAT:

Catalase

CEE:

Carbon epoxy electrode

CFE:

Carbon fibre electrode

CNS:

Central nervous system

CPA:

Constant potential amperometry

CPE:

Carbon paste electrode

CV:

Cyclic voltammetry

DA:

Dopamine

DOPAC:

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid

DPA:

Differential pulse amperometry

DPV:

Differential pulse voltammetry

ECF:

Extracellular fluid

FCV:

Fast cyclic voltammetry

GA:

Glutaraldehyde

GluOx:

Glutamate oxidase

GOx:

Glucose oxidase

HPLC:

High-performance liquid chromatography

HVA:

Homovanillic acid

LIVE:

Long-term in vivo electrochemistry

l-NAME:

N ω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester

LSV:

Linear sweep voltammetry

NA:

Noradrenaline

NMR:

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

NO:

Nitric oxide

NOS:

Nitric oxide synthase

o-PPD:

Poly(o-phenylenediamine)

PD:

Parkinson’s disease

SCE:

Saturated calomel electrode

SCV:

Staircase voltammetry

UA:

Uric acid

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. BioAnalytics Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland

    Fiachra B. Bolger, Niall J. Finnerty & John P. Lowry

Authors
  1. Fiachra B. Bolger
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  2. Niall J. Finnerty
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  3. John P. Lowry
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Correspondence to Fiachra B. Bolger .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Hamilton Institute, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Maynooth, Kildare, Ireland

    Peter Wellstead

  2. Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, C.P. 6079, Succ. Centre-ville, Montreal, H3C 3A7, Québec, Canada

    Mathieu Cloutier

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Bolger, F.B., Finnerty, N.J., Lowry, J.P. (2012). Real-Time In Vivo Sensing of Neurochemicals. In: Wellstead, P., Cloutier, M. (eds) Systems Biology of Parkinson's Disease. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3411-5_6

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