Functional Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Downregulation of Cerebellar Long-Term Depression as Potential Cause in Parkinson's Driven Tremor

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by stiffness, lack of balance and coordination, slurred speech, and tremors. Currently, there are various therapeutic approaches towards addressing symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Most commonly, dopamine precursors such as levodopa or dopamine agonists are used. Unfortunately, these treatments often decline in efficacy over time. In this study, we explore an alternative area of focus for treating tremor in Parkinson's Disease. We utilize computational tools to investigate Parkinson's disease-driven transcriptome changes within the cerebellum through a functional gene enrichment and neuronal pathway analysis of protein coding RNAs. Past studies have emphasized a potential correlation between downregulation of cerebellar long-term depression and tremors. We identify that this same process may be occurring within Parkinson's disease patients. Furthermore, we contribute to a growing collection of literature by proposing that targeting this glutamatergic process through receptor antagonists, could be an increasingly efficient and comprehensive method of treating Parkinson's driven tremors.