Short communicationLevodopa-induced morphologic changes of prefrontal pyramidal tract-type neurons in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

- We examined pyramidal tract-type neurons in dopamine-denervated prefrontal cortex.
- The neurons underwent morphologic changes after chronic levodopa treatment.
- Dendritic spines of the neurons showed decreased density and increased volume.
- These may be associated with levodopa-induced complications in Parkinson's disease.

Long-term administration of levodopa for Parkinson's disease is associated with various motor and non-motor complications. We examined the dendritic spine morphology of pyramidal tract-type neurons in the prefrontal cortex in a rat model of Parkinson's disease chronically treated with levodopa. Dendritic spines showed decreased density and increased average volume after dopamine denervation and levodopa treatment. These morphologic alterations suggest that the prefrontal neurons may maladaptively respond to excitatory input, which might be one of the mechanisms underlying various levodopa-induced complications in patients with Parkinson's disease.