Table 1_From retina to brain: retinal dysfunction and dopaminergic neurodegeneration in Drosophila models of Parkinson’s disease.docx

Although PD is primarily defined as a motor disorder, prodromal non-motor symptoms - such as circadian clock desynchronization and sleep disturbances - can emerge years before clinical diagnosis. Increasing evidence suggests that these non-motor manifestations, particularly circadian disruption, may contribute to disease progression.

However, it remains unclear whether circadian dysfunction actively drives neurodegeneration or arises as a consequence of ongoing neuronal loss. In this study, we employed genetic models of PD in Drosophila melanogaster to investigate these relationships. Specifically, we examined the effects of parkin (park) silencing and neuronal expression of human α-Synuclein on photoreceptor morphology and function.