The research, which appears in the journal Current Biology, found that symptoms of Parkinson's disease appear before the premature death of dopaminergic neurons.
"However, this research demonstrates that functional inhibition of dopaminergic neurons by surrounding astrocytes is the core cause of [Parkinon's disease]. It should be a drastic turning point in understanding and treating [Parkinson's disease] and possibly other neurodegenerative disease as well."