Long-lasting decreases of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive cell bodies have been observed in substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area (VTA) of rats exposed to severe perinatal asphyxia (Chen et al., 1995, 1997b), together with decreased dopamine utilization in neostriatum, accumbens, and olfactory tubercle (Ungethüm et al., 1996; Bustamante et al., 2003) 1 month after birth. The gene discussed is TH; the disease is asphyxia.