What is the role of Reticular formation in Parkinson’s disease?

The reticular formation is a group of interconnected nuclei located in the brainstem and hypothalamus. Anatomically speaking, the reticular formation spread a long stretch from the lower end of the medulla oblongata to the upper end of the midbrain. The reticular formation consists of two major projection pathways: ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) projecting pathways to the cortex, and reticulospinal tracts projecting pathways to the spinal cord. The reticular formation manages essential functions of higher organisms and has been the brain’s focal point of phylogenetic study.

Reticular formation (RF). (A) Subdivisions. (B) Aminergic and cholinergic cell groups.

From https://neupsykey.com/

The role in Parkinson’s disease

There are 100 brain nuclei in the reticular formation. Among all nuclei, 4 of them are closely associated with Parkinson’s disease:

• Dopaminergic nuclei in the Midbrain.

• Cholinergic nuclei in the forebrain and Pontine tegmental nuclei.

• Serotonergic nuclei in the raphe nucleus.

• Noradrenergic nuclei in Locus coeruleus.

The degeneration and loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain is a hallmark feature of Parkinson’s disease. More than 60% of dopaminergic neurons are lost at the time of PD diagnosis. A recent study has also shown neurotransmitters produced from these brain nuclei might interact with each other to exert a synergistic effect on PD’s pathogenesis