Previous studies have shown altered synuclein, increased oxidative stress damage and increased oxidative stress responses in patients with sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) without cognitive impairment.
The protein alpha-synuclein accumulates in the brain of patients with sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD), and increased gene dosage causes a severe, dominantly inherited form of PD, but we know little about the effects of synuclein that precede degeneration. alpha-Synuclein localizes to the nerve terminal, but the knockout has little if any effect on synaptic transmission.