Home › Research › Lewy body dementia
Oxidative stress as a cause of nigral cell death in Parkinson's disease and incidental Lewy body disease. The Royal Kings and Queens Parkinson's Disease Research Group
Jenner P, Dexter DT, Sian J, Schapira AH, Marsden CD.. Annals of neurology, 1992-01-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
We examine the evidence for free radical involvement and oxidative stress in the pathological process underlying Parkinson's disease, from postmortem brain tissue. The concept of free radical involvement is supported by enhanced basal lipid peroxidation in substantia nigra in patients with Parkinson's disease, demonstrated by increased levels of malondialdehyde and lipid hydroperoxides. The activity of many of the protective mechanisms against oxidative stress does not seem to be significantly altered in the nigra in Parkinson's disease. Thus, activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase are more or less unchanged, as are concentrations of vitamin C and vitamin E. The activity of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase and the levels of the antioxidant ion zinc are, however, increased, which may reflect oxidative stress in substantia nigra. Levels of reduced glutathione are decreased in nigra in Parkinson's disease; this decrease does not occur in other brain areas or in other neurodegenerative illnesses affecting this brain region (i.e., multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy). Altered glutathione metabolism may prevent inactivation of hydrogen peroxide and enhance formation of toxic hydroxyl radicals. In brain material from patients with incidental Lewy body disease (presymptomatic Parkinson's disease), there is no evidence for alterations in iron metabolism and no significant change in mitochondrial complex I function. The levels of reduced glutathione in substantia nigra, however, are reduced to the same extent as in advanced Parkinson's disease. These data suggest that changes in glutathione function are an early component of the pathological process of Parkinson's disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Key findings
- The concept of free radical involvement is supported by enhanced basal lipid peroxidation in substantia nigra in patients with Parkinson's disease, demonstrated by increased levels of malondialdehyde and lipid hydroperoxides.
- The activity of many of the protective mechanisms against oxidative stress does not seem to be significantly altered in the nigra in Parkinson's disease.
- In brain material from patients with incidental Lewy body disease (presymptomatic Parkinson's disease), there is no evidence for alterations in iron metabolism and no significant change in mitochondrial complex I function.
- These data suggest that changes in glutathione function are an early component of the pathological process of Parkinson's disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Why it matters
This study examined brain tissue from Parkinson's disease patients and found evidence of oxidative stress in the substantia nigra, but it did not find significant changes in many protective antioxidant mechanisms. It does not test any treatment or prevention for Alzheimer's disease, so it has no direct implications for treating, curing, or preventing the disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 49/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Annals of neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Annals of Neurology: journal h-index 437 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1992 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 544 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 15.1 citations a year over 36 year(s) since 1992 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 14.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 23 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author C. DAVID MARSDEN: h-index 144 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | King's College London: institution h-index 1,348 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 1510385) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 49 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Jenner, P., Dexter, D. T., Sian, J., Schapira, A. H., & Marsden, C. D. (1992). Oxidative stress as a cause of nigral cell death in Parkinson's disease and incidental Lewy body disease. The Royal Kings and Queens Parkinson's Disease Research Group. Annals of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.410320714
Vancouver
Jenner P, Dexter DT, Sian J, Schapira AH, Marsden CD. Oxidative stress as a cause of nigral cell death in Parkinson's disease and incidental Lewy body disease. The Royal Kings and Queens Parkinson's Disease Research Group. Annals of neurology. 1992. doi:10.1002/ana.410320714. PMID: 1510385.
BibTeX
@article{jenner1992-1510385,
author = {Jenner, P. and Dexter, D. T. and Sian, J. and Schapira, A. H. and Marsden, C. D.},
title = {{Oxidative stress as a cause of nigral cell death in Parkinson's disease and incidental Lewy body disease. The Royal Kings and Queens Parkinson's Disease Research Group}},
journal = {Annals of neurology},
year = {1992},
doi = {10.1002/ana.410320714},
pmid = {1510385},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.410320714}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
1 study in the alzhub library lists this one in its references.
Related studies in Lewy body dementia
Also tagged “bodies”
1,017 studies in the library carry the topic tag “bodies”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,017 tagged studies.