10 - Exploring the Neurotransmitters of Basal Ganglia

Summary

Abstract: After Anne’s trip to Venezuela, she returned to lab work in Michigan. She wanted to get to know Nancy better and work side by side with her in her efforts. Jack and Anne continued working on the grant they had obtained when Ellen was born. They aimed to identify the neurotransmitters of the motor pathways that influence the disorderly movements of Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. They figured out the most efficient way to conduct their experiments using x-ray film that was sensitive to the weaker energy, tritium. Next, they measured the number of receptors using a type of radioactive yardstick (or standard) by mixing known amounts of radioactivity with brain tissue and applying these standards to the same piece of film as the slides of tissue sections. They got all the chemical information and data from tiny regions of the brain that were otherwise impossible to study. They used the new technique to measure GABA receptors. One of Anne’s patients with Huntington’s and her sister killed themselves. Anne felt responsible and fell into a deep depression.