What are Some Disorders Involving Projection Neurons?
Dysfunction of projection neurons can lead to various neurological disorders:
1. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Affects corticospinal neurons, leading to motor neuron degeneration and muscle weakness. 2. Parkinson’s Disease: Involves degeneration of dopaminergic projection neurons in the substantia nigra, resulting in motor control issues. 3. Huntington’s Disease: Characterized by the degeneration of projection neurons in the striatum, leading to motor and cognitive impairments. 4. Schizophrenia: Abnormalities in thalamocortical projection neurons are thought to contribute to the cognitive and sensory processing deficits observed in this disorder.
