Contribution of stress-associated neurovascular alterations in Parkinson’s disease and high rates of depression
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is well known for its motor symptoms, but depression and anxiety affect up to half of patients and often appear years before diagnosis. This project will investigate how chronic stress and a key PD protein, alpha-synuclein, may work together to damage the blood-brain barrier (BBB), potentially driving these early mood symptoms. Using a mouse model that develops both motor and depressive-like features, the study will examine BBB changes across brain regions, consider sex differences, and test whether an alpha-synuclein-targeted antibody can protect BBB health. The goal is to uncover new biological pathways that link PD and depression and to guide future treatments that improve both neurological and mental health.
