Hemiparkinsonism. A human model for studying dopaminergic supersensitivity

M. Trabucchi, M. G. Albizzati, L. Frattola and G. Scarlato

The observation of a patient suffering from a parkinsonian syndrome, almost entirely expressed on the right side, and "on-off" attacks with rotatory movement of the trunk, led us to consider that the rotational model of animals may be reproduced in man. The symptoms presented by our patient may reflect a predominant degeneration in the nigrostriatal pathway of the left side. We suggest that his torsion behavior is due to hypersensitivity phenomenon of the dopaminergic receptors on this side.