“Face of Parkinson”

Artist: Li-elle Rapaport
NeuroGrad Collaborator: Oren Princz-Lebel

Abstract

“Face of Parkinson” integrates key principles in fine art and neuroscience; at the junction between these two disciplines lies a realistically rendered face of an older adult in black and white to signify the key patient population affected by Parkinson’s disease.

The prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in Canadian aging populations continues to rise, yet there remain no effective therapies. Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor features such as muscle rigidity, tremors, and cognitive features such as changes in impulsivity, decision-making and learning. Parkinson’s is associated with progressive cell death of a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which is a chemical in the brain that regulates these motor and cognitive features. This dopamine loss is particularly disastrous in the striatum, which is painted in saturated colours to convey its significance.

To understand how dopamine is affected in Parkinson’s disease, PhD student Oren Princz-Lebel measures dopamine using a novel technique called Fibre Photometry. The signals are a repeated pattern in the painting, illustrated in Ramon y Cajal’s style to incorporate the artist and neuroscientist's shared inspiration. These illustrations contrast a black background which peaks through vibrantly coloured rays to emphasize the loss in brain function as the disease progresses. Bringing together art and science, we hoped to highlight the importance of studying neurodegenerative diseases and promote the accessibility of neuroscience research to the general public.