Neurotoxicity is a major health problem in Africa: focus on Parkinson's / Parkinsonism

Описание: Summary:
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most present neurodegenerative disease in the world after Alzheimer's. It is due to the progressive and irreversible loss of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra Pars Compacta. Alpha-synuclein deposits and the appearance of Lewi bodies are systematically associated with it. PD is characterized by four cardinal motor symptoms: bradykinesia/akinesia, rigidity, postural instability, and tremors at rest. These symptoms appear when 80% of the dopaminergic endings disappear in the striatum. According to Braak's theory, non-motor symptoms appear much earlier and this is particularly the case with anxiety, depression, anhedonia, and sleep disturbances. In 90 to 95% of cases, the causes of the appearance of the disease remain unknown, but polluting toxic molecules are incriminated more and more. In Africa, neurodegenerative diseases of the Parkinson's type are increasingly present and a parallel seems to exist between the increase in cases and the presence of toxic and polluting products such as metals. My Web conference will focus on this aspect, i.e. present experimental arguments which reinforce the hypothesis of the incrimination of these pollutants in the incidence of Parkinson's disease and/or Parkinsonism. Among the lines of research that we have developed in my laboratory in Rabat, Morocco, I have chosen this one knowing that many of our Ph.D. students and IBRO Alumni are working or trying to develop scientific research on neurotoxicity in correlation with pathologies of the brain.


Speaker Bio:
Nouria Lakhdar-Ghazal is a Professor of animal physiology and neuroscience at Mohammed V University. She actually chairs the IBRO- Africa Center for Advanced Training in Neuroscience of the Mohammed V University of Rabat, Morocco. She created the first Master's degree in neuroscience in Africa in 1999 and the first Doctoral degree in Africa in 2001. She was the Head of the Unit of Research on Biological Rhythms, Neuroscience, and Environment from 1997 to 2017. Nouria Lakhdar-Ghazal serves as President of The Society of Neuroscientists of Africa (2011-2013 and then Secretary-General of The Society of Neuroscientists of Africa (SONA) 2013-2017. She was a member of the Africa Regional Committee of IBRO, in RITA Levi-Montalcini committee for Funding Women Training in Africa, in the International Society for Neurochemistry School Committee, in the Arab States Committee of the UNESCO Forum for Higher Education, Research and Knowledge, in the IBRO Workshop and Symposia Standing Committee. She has organized many African schools in Neuroscience, Workshops, and international conferences.

Moderator:
Abdulbasit Amin, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC), Lisbon.

Coordinator:
Mosab Ali Awadelkareem, Al-Neelain University, Sudan.

Society of Neuroscientists of Africa – SONA:
https://sonafrica.org/
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   / @societyofneuroscientistsof385  

TReND in Africa:
https://trendinafrica.org/
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https://twitter.com/trendinafrica?lan...
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Worldwide Neuro:
https://www.worldwideneuro.com/
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