This b00k reviews the recent advances in the research on Parkinson's disease. It contains review articles from basic to clinical researches including the historical introduction and the molecular biological approach to Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is the most representative, age-related neurodegenerative disease. It is clinically characterized by movement disorders such as muscle rigidity, akinesia and tremor. The elucidation of its biochemical and molecular mechanisms has rapidly been progressing and is expected to contribute to the understanding of normal brain aging in general. This project is supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas, "Molecular Biology of the Motor System", Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan, for 3 years from 1987 to 1989. We are grateful for the support. These reviews are a part of the works which have been supported by this Grant-in-Aid. The characteristics of this research project on Parkinson's disease are interdisciplinary approach from basic, molecular biology to clinical medicine, and the molecular biological approach is expected to be the most promising for the elucidation of the pathogenesis. The collaboration and discussion between basic and clinical researchers in this Priority Area Project has been efficient and productive. We hope that this book can mark another new milestone in the studies on Park,oson's disease and in neuroscience. We are very grateful to Nippon Schering for their generous support for the publication of this book. Last but not least, we thank Springer-Verlag Wien New York for the excellent production of this book and the excellent cooperation.

Tyrosine hydroxylase in relation to Parkinson's disease: a historical overview and future prospect.- Discovery of dopamine deficiency and the possibility of dopa therapy in Parkinsonism.- Genes of human catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes.- Receptor alterations in Parkinson's disease.- Second messengers in Parkinson's disease.- Mitochondrial energy crisis as a mechanism for nigral cell death.- Tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ) and its derivatives: the occurrence and the metabolism in the brain, and the effects on catecholamine metabolism.- Can tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ) or N-methyl-TIQ produce parkinsonism?.- Relationship between TIQs and Parkinson's disease.- Sparteine oxidation in patients with early- and late-onset of Parkinson's disease.- Association of Xba I allele (Xba I 44kb) of the human cytochrome P-450dbI (CYP2D6) gene in Japanese patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.- Immunological aspects of neural transplantation.- Epidemiology of Parkinson's disease-interplaying genes and environmental factors.- Topics of special interest in research of Parkinson's disease.- Importance of juvenile parkinsonism in elucidating the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.- Dopa-unresponsive pure akinesia or freezing.- Hereditary progressive dystonia with marked diurnal fluctuation.- Positron emission tomographic study in Parkinson's disease-rigid vs tremor type.- Role of stereotaxic surgery in treatment of Parkinson's disease.- L-threo-DOPS-implications for pathophysiology of parkinsonian symptoms chronically treated with L-DOPA.