The Development of Medications for Parkinson’s Disease Using Computational Modeling

Neuronal computational modeling is considered an important approach to address neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease. In this chapter, we discuss methods to develop a computational model for potential treatment of Parkinson's disease. The model includes representations for the striatum and subthalamic nucleus as well as known experimental data on neurotransmitters including dopamine and ion channels. The model focuses on simulating neuronal beta oscillations in both striatum and subthalamic nucleus as biomarkers for Parkinson's disease. After simulating Parkinson's disease, we explain how modeling can be used to conduct virtual medication studies to find which parameters normalize striatal and subthalamic nucleus function, which then suggest a treatment for Parkinson's disease. It is therefore hoped that novel computational models will help identify biomarkers and potential treatment for Parkinson's disease.