INTRASTRIATAL COGRAFTS OF AUTOLOGOUS ADRENAL-MEDULLA AND SURAL NERVE IN MPTP-INDUCED PARKINSONIAN MACAQUES - BEHAVIORAL AND ANATOMICAL ASSESSMENT

To examine the effects of autologous sural nerve and adrenal medullary tissue intrastriatal cografts upon voluntary motor performance in par kinsonism, a non-human primate 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyr idine (MPTP) model was employed to quantitatively assess skilled hand movements. Motor performance was studied in normal, MPTP-induced parki nsonian, and then cografted states. Reaction and movement times were p rolonged and variability increased in experimental and control animals in the parkinsonian state. Animals undergoing autologous cografts dem onstrated improved motor performance whereas the control animal contin ued in a chronic, stable parkinsonian state. Intrastriatal cografts of autologous adrenal medullary tissue and sural nerve resulted in good to excellent chromaffin cell survival. The mechanism of the restoratio n of function in the cografted monkeys remains to be determined.