substantia ni·gra

(nī′grə, nĭg′rə)

A layer of large pigmented nerve cells in the midbrain that produce dopamine and whose destruction is associated with Parkinson's disease.

[New Latin : Latin substantia, substance + Latin nigra, feminine of niger, black.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

substantia nigra

(səbˈstænʃə ˈnaɪɡrə)

(Anatomy) a layer of grey matter in the brain that produces dopamine and contains pigmented nerve cells, loss of which has been associated with Parkinson's disease

[C20: from Latin, literally: dark material]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sub•stan•ti•a ni•gra

(səbˈstæn ʃi ə ˈnaɪ grə, ˈnɪg rə)

n., pl. sub•stan•ti•ae ni•grae (sʌbˈstæn ʃiˌi ˈnaɪ gri, ˈnɪg ri) substantia ni•gras.

a deeply pigmented area of the midbrain containing dopamine-producing nerve cells.

[1880–85; < New Latin: black substance]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

substantia nigra - a layer of deeply pigmented grey matter in the midbrain; associated with the striate body; is involved in metabolic disturbances associated with Parkinson's disease and with Huntington's disease

locus niger, nucleus niger

neural structure - a structure that is part of the nervous system

mesencephalon, midbrain - the middle portion of the brain

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

It is associated with old age, and characterized by the loss of neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain.

Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics in Major Developed Markets to 2021 - New Market Study Published

Keywords: dopamine neuron, levodopa treatment, movement disorders, MPTP Parkinson, Parkinson disease, Parkinson disease treatment, PD genes, substantia nigra

Understanding Parkinson Disease: a complex and multifaceted illness

Parkinson's is caused by a loss of nerve cells in part of the brain called the substantia nigra.

Parkinson's patients are dancing their way to a better quality of life

It works as a messenger that transfers signals in an area in the brain called the substantia nigra to produce smooth, controlled movements.

Don't ignore the signs

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are G-protein coupled receptors that contain the binding site for glutamate, and mGlu4, specifically, is localized to presynaptic terminals in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc).

MGLU4 As a possible therapeutic target for neuroprotection and anti-inflammation in Parkinson's disease

Most notable were the substantia nigra and the nucleus locus coeruleus.

From drugs to food: a career in research: a cure remained out of reach, but advances occurred along the way

This is either by interneurons which are dispersed among the dopamine neurons (13,19) or via GABAergic inputs to the VTA such as direct inputs from the nucleus accumbense, (19,23) ventral pallidum, (23,24) reticulate parts of substantia nigra (13,25) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.

Evaluation of GABA receptors of ventral tegmental area in cardiovascular responses in rat

Recent studies at Johns Hopkins and Pennsylvania State Colleges have found evidence for brain iron deficiency in an area called substantia nigra as a cause for primary RLS demonstrated in cerebrospinal fluid studies.

Restless Legs Syndrome is a neurological disorder

Consistent with this, we have recently shown that continuous (three months) bright light exposure of rats induces formation of neuromelanin and reduces tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons in the substantia nigra [9].

Eyes as gateways for environmental light to the substantia nigra: relevance in Parkinson's disease

(6,7) One hypothesis posits that abnormal protein aggregates characteristic of PD appear first in the olfactory structures and enteric nerve, then spread by a prion-like cell-to-cell transfer to the substantia nigra. (8) Some studies suggest that PD may originate in the cells of the nasal cavity or intestines and spread to the central nervous system and the brain.

Before the tremor: premotor symptoms of Parkinson's disease

The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease result from the death of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain; the cause of this cell death is unknown.

Making The Connection Between Brain & Behavior, second edition