Breathing and its stimulatory responses in parkinsonism: repercussions for physiotherapy

Abstract

This study addresses respiratory and motor impairments in an experimental reserpine-induced model of parkinsonism in rats. The role of chronic hypoxia due to diminished ventilation in the development and course of neurodegeneration is addressed. An attempt was made to distinguish between central and peripheral dopamine pathways in the
mechanisms of neurodegeneration. A dissociation of putative mechanisms of respiratory and motor impairments is
tackled as well. Although this purely experimental study cannot be directly extrapolated to human pathophysiology,
the corollaries have been drawn concerning the potential repercussions of the respiratory and motor impairments for
the physiotherapeutic procedures in the management of chronic neurodegeneration.