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Lu X, Wickens JR, Hyland BI. Multimodal convergence in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus: Motor, sensory and theta-frequency inputs influence activity of single neurons. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:3643-3658. [PMID: 38698531 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
The pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus of the brainstem (PPTg) has extensive interconnections and neuronal-behavioural correlates. It is implicated in movement control and sensorimotor integration. We investigated whether single neuron activity in freely moving rats is correlated with components of skilled forelimb movement, and whether individual neurons respond to both motor and sensory events. We found that individual PPTg neurons showed changes in firing rate at different times during the reach. This type of temporally specific modulation is like activity seen elsewhere in voluntary movement control circuits, such as the motor cortex, and suggests that PPTg neural activity is related to different specific events occurring during the reach. In particular, many neuronal modulations were time-locked to the end of the extension phase of the reach, when fine distal movements related to food grasping occur, indicating strong engagement of PPTg in this phase of skilled individual forelimb movements. In addition, some neurons showed brief periods of apparent oscillatory firing in the theta range at specific phases of the reach-to-grasp movement. When movement-related neurons were tested with tone stimuli, many also responded to this auditory input, allowing for sensorimotor integration at the cellular level. Together, these data extend the concept of the PPTg as an integrative structure in generation of complex movements, by showing that this function extends to the highly coordinated control of the forelimb during skilled reach to grasp movement, and that sensory and motor-related information converges on single neurons, allowing for direct integration at the cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Lu
- Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence, Dunedin and Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jeffery R Wickens
- Okinawa Institute for Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Brian Ian Hyland
- Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence, Dunedin and Auckland, New Zealand
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Masilamoni GJ, Kelly H, Swain AJ, Pare JF, Villalba RM, Smith Y. Structural Plasticity of GABAergic Pallidothalamic Terminals in MPTP-Treated Parkinsonian Monkeys: A 3D Electron Microscopic Analysis. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0241-23.2024. [PMID: 38514185 PMCID: PMC10957232 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0241-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The internal globus pallidus (GPi) is a major source of tonic GABAergic inhibition to the motor thalamus. In parkinsonism, the firing rate of GPi neurons is increased, and their pattern switches from a tonic to a burst mode, two pathophysiological changes associated with increased GABAergic pallidothalamic activity. In this study, we used high-resolution 3D electron microscopy to demonstrate that GPi terminals in the parvocellular ventral anterior nucleus (VApc) and the centromedian nucleus (CM), the two main GPi-recipient motor thalamic nuclei in monkeys, undergo significant morphometric changes in parkinsonian monkeys including (1) increased terminal volume in both nuclei; (2) increased surface area of synapses in both nuclei; (3) increased number of synapses/GPi terminals in the CM, but not VApc; and (4) increased total volume, but not number, of mitochondria/terminals in both nuclei. In contrast to GPi terminals, the ultrastructure of putative GABAergic nonpallidal terminals was not affected. Our results also revealed striking morphological differences in terminal volume, number/area of synapses, and volume/number of mitochondria between GPi terminals in VApc and CM of control monkeys. In conclusion, GABAergic pallidothalamic terminals are endowed with a high level of structural plasticity that may contribute to the development and maintenance of the abnormal increase in pallidal GABAergic outflow to the thalamus in the parkinsonian state. Furthermore, the evidence for ultrastructural differences between GPi terminals in VApc and CM suggests that morphologically distinct pallidothalamic terminals from single pallidal neurons may underlie specific physiological properties of pallidal inputs to VApc and CM in normal and diseased states.
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Affiliation(s)
- G J Masilamoni
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - H Kelly
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - A J Swain
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - J F Pare
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - R M Villalba
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Y Smith
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
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Liu W, Shen Y, Zhong Y, Sun Y, Yang J, Zhang W, Yan L, Liu W, Yu M. Levodopa improved different motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease by reducing the functional connectivity of specific thalamic subregions. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14354. [PMID: 37452488 PMCID: PMC10848087 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The thalamus is an important relay station for the motor circuit of human. Levodopa can reverse the clinical manifestations by modulating the function of motor circuits, but its detailed mechanisms are still not fully understood. We aimed to explore (1) the mechanism by which levodopa modulates the functional connectivity (FC) in the subregions of the thalamus; (2) the relationship between the changed FC and the improvement of motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. METHODS Resting-state functional MRI was used to scan 36 PD patients and 37 healthy controls. The FC between the subregions in the thalamus and the whole brain was measured and compared under different medication states of PD patients. The correlation between the improvement of motor symptoms and changes in FC in the thalamus subregions was examined. RESULTS The PD on state exhibited decreased FC between the right pre-motor thalamus and the right postcentral gyrus, as well as the right lateral pre-frontal thalamus and the right postcentral gyrus. These decreases were positively correlated with the improvement of resting tremor. The PD on state also exhibited decreased FC between the left lateral pre-frontal thalamus and right paracentral lobule, which was positively correlated with the improvement of bradykinesia. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that levodopa treats PD by decreasing the FC between the thalamus subregions and pre/post-central cortex. Our results provide a basis for further exploration of the functional activity of thalamic subregions and offer new insights into the precision treatment in PD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan Liu
- Department of RehabilitationThe Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
- Department of NeurologyThe Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Yang Shen
- Department of NeurologyThe Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
- Department of NeurologyXiaogan Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, The Central Hospital of XiaoganXiaoganChina
| | - Yuan Zhong
- School of PsychologyNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive ScienceNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Yu Sun
- International Laboratory for Children's Medical Imaging Research, School of Biological Sciences and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjingChina
- Director of Joint Research Centre for University of Birmingham and Southeast UniversitySoutheast UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Jiaying Yang
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjingChina
| | - Wenbin Zhang
- Department of Functional NeurosurgeryThe Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Lei Yan
- Department of NeurologyThe Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Weiguo Liu
- Department of NeurologyThe Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Miao Yu
- Department of NeurologyThe Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
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Chen L, Daniels S, Dvorak R, Chu HY. Reduced thalamic excitation to motor cortical pyramidal tract neurons in parkinsonism. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg3038. [PMID: 37611096 PMCID: PMC10446482 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg3038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons alters the connectivity and functionality of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits in Parkinson's disease (PD). Particularly, the aberrant outputs of the primary motor cortex (M1) contribute to parkinsonian motor deficits. However, cortical adaptations at cellular and synaptic levels in parkinsonism remain poorly understood. Using multidisciplinary approaches, we found that DA degeneration induces cell subtype- and input-specific reduction of thalamic excitation to M1 pyramidal tract (PT) neurons. At molecular level, we identified that N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors play a key role in mediating the reduced thalamocortical excitation to PT neurons. At circuit level, we showed that the reduced thalamocortical transmission in parkinsonian mice can be rescued by chemogenetically suppressing basal ganglia outputs. Together, our data suggest that cell subtype- and synapse-specific adaptations in M1 contribute to altered cortical outputs in parkinsonism and are important aspects of PD pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqiang Chen
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815
| | - Samuel Daniels
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 USA
| | - Rachel Dvorak
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 USA
| | - Hong-Yuan Chu
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815
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Acosta-Mejia MT, Villalobos N. Neurophysiology of Brain Networks Underlies Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease: A Basis for Diagnosis and Management. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2394. [PMID: 37510138 PMCID: PMC10377975 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13142394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the leading neurodegenerative disorders. It is considered a movement disorder, although it is accepted that many nonmotor symptoms accompany the classic motor symptoms. PD exhibits heterogeneous and overlaying clinical symptoms, and the overlap of motor and nonmotor symptoms complicates the clinical diagnosis and management. Loss of modulation secondary to the absence of dopamine due to degeneration of the substantia nigra compacta produces changes in firing rates and patterns, oscillatory activity, and higher interneuronal synchronization in the basal ganglia-thalamus-cortex and nigrovagal network involvement in motor and nonmotor symptoms. These neurophysiological changes can be monitored by electrophysiological assessment. The purpose of this review was to summarize the results of neurophysiological changes, especially in the network oscillation in the beta-band level associated with parkinsonism, and to discuss the use of these methods to optimize the diagnosis and management of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Teresa Acosta-Mejia
- Área Académica de Nutrición, Área Académica de Farmacia, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Ex-Hacienda La Concepción, Sn Agustin Tlaxiaca, Estado de Hidalgo 42160, Mexico
| | - Nelson Villalobos
- Academia de Fisiología, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico, Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Colonia Casco de Santo Tomás, Ciudad de Mexico 11340, Mexico
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación de la Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Colonia Casco de Santo Tomás, Ciudad de Mexico 11340, Mexico
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Forghani R, Goodnight B, Latchoumane CFV, Karumbaiah L. AutoRG: An automatized reach-to-grasp platform technology for assessing forelimb motor function, neural circuit activation, and cognition in rodents. J Neurosci Methods 2023; 387:109798. [PMID: 36682731 PMCID: PMC10071513 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.109798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rodent reach-to-grasp function assessment is a translationally powerful model for evaluating neurological function impairments and recovery responses. Existing assessment platforms are experimenter-dependent, costly, or low-throughput with limited output measures. Further, a direct histologic comparison of neural activation has never been conducted between any novel, automated platform and the well-established single pellet skilled reach task (SRT). NEW METHOD To address these technological and knowledge gaps, we designed an open-source, low-cost Automatized Reach-to-Grasp (AutoRG) pull platform that reduces experimenter interventions and variability. We assessed reach-to-grasp function in rats across seven progressively difficult stages using AutoRG. We mapped AutoRG and SRT-activated motor circuitries in the rat brain using volumetric imaging of the immediate early gene-encoded Arc (activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated) protein. RESULTS Rats demonstrated robust forelimb reaching and pulling behavior after training in AutoRG. Reliable force versus time responses were recorded for individual reach events in real time, which were used to derive several secondary functional measures of performance. Moreover, we provide the first demonstration that for a training period of 30 min, AutoRG and SRT both engage similar neural responses in the caudal forelimb area (CFA), rostral forelimb area (RFA), and sensorimotor area (S1). CONCLUSION AutoRG is the first low-cost, open-source pull system designed for the scale-up of volitional forelimb motor function testing and characterization of rodent reaching behavior. The similarities in neuronal activation patterns observed in the rat motor cortex after SRT and AutoRG assessments validate the AutoRG as a rigorously characterized, scalable alternative to the conventional SRT and expensive commercial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rameen Forghani
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, 425 River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Braxton Goodnight
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, 425 River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Charles-Francois Vincent Latchoumane
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, 425 River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA; Department of Animal and Dairy Science, College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Georgia, 425, River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
| | - Lohitash Karumbaiah
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, 425 River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA; Department of Animal and Dairy Science, College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Georgia, 425, River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA; Division of Neuroscience, Biomedical and Translational Sciences Institute, University of Georgia, 203 Pound Hall, 105 Foster Rd, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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Saadat A, Blackwell A, Kaszowski C, Pallera H, Owens D, Lattanzio F, Shah T. Therapeutic hypothermia demonstrates sex-dependent improvements in motor function in a rat model of neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Behav Brain Res 2023; 437:114119. [PMID: 36162642 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a neurological disease caused by restricted oxygen and blood flow to the brain at or around the time of birth. Long term cognitive and motor sequelae are common and demonstrate sexual dimorphism in animal studies. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is the standard of care for HIE, but provides incomplete neuroprotection. Using the Vannucci model of neonatal HIE, term-equivalent 11-day old rat pups were subjected to mild-moderate hypoxic-ischemic injury (HII), and a subset of animals were treated with TH. Sex-dependent neuroprotection was measured with gross and fine motor control assays, and functional deficits detected with these assays were correlated to injury in specific brain structures. At the equivalent of human adolescence and adulthood (P51-89), accelerod and beam walking tests were used to assess gross motor function, and string-pulling and food handling tests were used to assess fine motor function. At necropsy (P94-97), brain lesions were primarily focused to the posterior cerebrum and characterized by variable reduction in cortical, thalamic and hippocampal regions and glial scarring. Gross motor impairment was detected in male rats with untreated and TH-treated HIE in the accelerod test, but beam walk test data was confounded by the lower body mass of untreated male rats. HIE animals of both sexes demonstrated deficit in the forelimb contralateral to ischemic surgery, observed as unilaterally impaired food handling behaviors, and in string pulling as decreased string contacts and increased in bracing behavior. However, kinematic analyses revealed sex-specific decreases in peak speeds in string reaching and pulling movements. In both sexes, treatment with TH improved body mass, some measures of contralateral forelimb impairment, and the severity of brain lesions to levels not different to Sham surgery rats. Unique differences in behavior following TH were observed in female rats, who took longer to consume food items but traversed beams and approached strings faster than untreated and Sham females. Future use of these motor assays may unravel the subtle, sex-specific differences in HIE outcomes and in developing a customized therapeutic approach to neonatal brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Saadat
- Neonatal Brain Institute, Children's Specialty Group, USA.
| | - Ashley Blackwell
- Center for Integrative Neuroinflammatory and Inflammatory Diseases, USA; Dept. Radiation Oncology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, USA
| | | | - Haree Pallera
- Neonatal Brain Institute, Children's Specialty Group, USA
| | - Daley Owens
- Neonatal Brain Institute, Children's Specialty Group, USA
| | - Frank Lattanzio
- Dept. Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, USA
| | - Tushar Shah
- Neonatal Brain Institute, Children's Specialty Group, USA
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Patterned Stimulation of the Chrimson Opsin in Glutamatergic Motor Thalamus Neurons Improves Forelimb Akinesia in Parkinsonian Rats. Neuroscience 2022; 507:64-78. [PMID: 36343721 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a motor disorder charactertised by altered neural activity throughout the basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuit. Electrical deep brain stimulation (DBS) is efficacious in alleviating motor symptoms, but has several notable side-effects, most likely reflecting the non-specific nature of electrical stimulation and/or the brain regions targeted. We determined whether specific optogenetic activation of glutamatergic motor thalamus (Mthal) neurons alleviated forelimb akinesia in a chronic rat model of PD. Parkinsonian rats (unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine injection) were injected with an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV5-CaMKII-Chrimson-GFP) to transduce glutamatergic Mthal neurons with the red-shifted Chrimson opsin. Optogenetic stimulation with orange light at 15 Hz tonic and a physiological pattern, previously recorded from a Mthal neuron in a control rat, significantly increased forelimb use in the reaching test (p < 0.01). Orange light theta burst stimulation, 15 Hz and control reaching patterns significantly reduced akinesia (p < 0.0001) assessed by the step test. In contrast, forelimb use in the cylinder test was unaffected by orange light stimulation with any pattern. Blue light (control) stimulation failed to alter behaviours. Activation of Chrimson using complex patterns in the Mthal may be an alternative treatment to recover movement in PD. These vector and opsin changes are important steps towards translating optogenetic stimulation to humans.
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Li M, Zhang X, He Q, Chen D, Chen F, Wang X, Sun S, Sun Y, Li Y, Zhu Z, Fang H, Shi X, Yao X, Sun H, Wang M. Functional Interactions Between the Parafascicular Thalamic Nucleus and Motor Cortex Are Altered in Hemiparkinsonian Rat. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:800159. [PMID: 35677204 PMCID: PMC9168077 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.800159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by aberrant discharge patterns and exaggerated oscillatory activity within basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits. We have previously observed substantial alterations in spike and local field potential (LFP) activities recorded in the thalamic parafascicular nucleus (PF) and motor cortex (M1), respectively, of hemiparkinsonian rats during rest or catching movements. This study explored whether the mutual effects of the PF and M1 depended on the amplitude and phase relationship in their identified neuron spikes or group rhythmic activities. Microwire electrode arrays were paired and implanted in the PF and M1 of rats with unilateral dopaminergic cell lesions. The results showed that the identified PF neurons exhibited aberrant cell type-selective firing rates and preferential and excessive phase-locked firing to cortical LFP oscillations mainly at 12–35 Hz (beta frequencies), consistent with the observation of identified M1 neurons with ongoing PF LFP oscillations. Experimental evidence also showed a decrease in phase-locking at 0.7–12 Hz and 35–70 Hz in the PF and M1 circuits in the hemiparkinsonian rats. Furthermore, anatomical evidence was provided for the existence of afferent and efferent bidirectional reciprocal connectivity pathways between the PF and M1 using an anterograde and retrograde neuroanatomical tracing virus. Collectively, our results suggested that multiple alterations may be present in regional anatomical and functional modes with which the PF and M1 interact, and that parkinsonism-associated changes in PF integrate M1 activity in a manner that varies with frequency, behavioral state, and integrity of the dopaminergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Editorial Department of Journal of Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, China
| | - Qin He
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Dadian Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Feiyu Chen
- School of International Education, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaojun Wang
- The First Hospital Affiliated With Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Shuang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Yue Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Yuchuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Zhiwei Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Heyi Fang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaoman Shi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaomeng Yao
- School of Nursing, Qilu Institute of Technology, Jinan, China
| | - Haiji Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Haiji Sun,
| | - Min Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
- Min Wang,
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Ohno Y, Horikoshi A, Imamura K. Reaching Task in Rats: Quantitative Evaluation and Effects of 6-OHDA into the Striatum. J Mot Behav 2022; 54:648-655. [PMID: 35392775 DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2022.2061410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we developed an evaluation method using image analysis for reaching tasks. Using this method, we studied forearm function during the reaching task in rats that received a unilateral injection of 6-OHDA into the striatum. The success ratio of the reaching task reduced to 40.5% seven days after the injection. In addition, significant changes were observed in the pronation angle of the forearm, posture control, and targeting (i.e., the distance between all fingertips and the center of the target pellet). Thus, unilateral injection of 6-OHDA reduces dopaminergic function in the brain and causes deterioration of forearm function and posture control in the reaching task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoichi Ohno
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Care, Takasaki Univ. Health and Welfare, Takasaki City, Gunma, Japan.,Department of System Life Engineering, Maebashi Institute of Technology, Maebashi City, Gunma, Japan
| | - Akinori Horikoshi
- Department of System Life Engineering, Maebashi Institute of Technology, Maebashi City, Gunma, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Imamura
- Department of System Life Engineering, Maebashi Institute of Technology, Maebashi City, Gunma, Japan
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Oscillatory waveform sharpness asymmetry changes in motor thalamus and motor cortex in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Exp Neurol 2022; 354:114089. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Lee C, Kim Y, Kaang BK. The primary motor cortex: the hub of motor learning in rodents. Neuroscience 2022; 485:163-170. [PMID: 35051529 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The primary motor cortex, a dynamic center for overall motion control and decision making, undergoes significant alterations upon neural stimulation. Over the last few decades, data from numerous studies using rodent models have improved our understanding of the morphological and functional plasticity of the primary motor cortex. In particular, spatially specific formation of dendritic spines and their maintenance during distinct behaviors is considered crucial for motor learning. However, whether the modifications of specific synapses are associated with motor learning should be studied further. In this review, we summarized the findings of prior studies on the features and dynamics of the primary motor cortex in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaery Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeonjun Kim
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Bong-Kiun Kaang
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
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Nakamura KC, Sharott A, Tanaka T, Magill PJ. Input Zone-Selective Dysrhythmia in Motor Thalamus after Dopamine Depletion. J Neurosci 2021; 41:10382-10404. [PMID: 34753740 PMCID: PMC8672689 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1753-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebral cortex, basal ganglia and motor thalamus form circuits important for purposeful movement. In Parkinsonism, basal ganglia neurons often exhibit dysrhythmic activity during, and with respect to, the slow (∼1 Hz) and beta-band (15-30 Hz) oscillations that emerge in cortex in a brain state-dependent manner. There remains, however, a pressing need to elucidate the extent to which motor thalamus activity becomes similarly dysrhythmic after dopamine depletion relevant to Parkinsonism. To address this, we recorded single-neuron and ensemble outputs in the basal ganglia-recipient zone (BZ) and cerebellar-recipient zone (CZ) of motor thalamus in anesthetized male dopamine-intact rats and 6-OHDA-lesioned rats during two brain states, respectively defined by cortical slow-wave activity and activation. Two forms of thalamic input zone-selective dysrhythmia manifested after dopamine depletion: (1) BZ neurons, but not CZ neurons, exhibited abnormal phase-shifted firing with respect to cortical slow oscillations prevalent during slow-wave activity; and (2) BZ neurons, but not CZ neurons, inappropriately synchronized their firing and engaged with the exaggerated cortical beta oscillations arising in activated states. These dysrhythmias were not accompanied by the thalamic hypoactivity predicted by canonical firing rate-based models of circuit organization in Parkinsonism. Complementary recordings of neurons in substantia nigra pars reticulata suggested that their altered activity dynamics could underpin the BZ dysrhythmias. Finally, pharmacological perturbations demonstrated that ongoing activity in the motor thalamus bolsters exaggerated beta oscillations in motor cortex. We conclude that BZ neurons are selectively primed to mediate the detrimental influences of abnormal slow and beta-band rhythms on circuit information processing in Parkinsonism.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Motor thalamus neurons mediate the influences of basal ganglia and cerebellum on the cerebral cortex to govern movement. Chronic depletion of dopamine from the basal ganglia causes some symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Here, we elucidate how dopamine depletion alters the ways motor thalamus neurons engage with two distinct oscillations emerging in cortico-basal ganglia circuits in vivo We discovered that, after dopamine depletion, neurons in the thalamic zone receiving basal ganglia inputs are particularly prone to becoming dysrhythmic, changing the phases and/or synchronization (but not rate) of their action potential firing. This bolsters cortical dysrhythmia. Our results provide important new insights into how aberrant rhythmicity in select parts of motor thalamus could detrimentally affect neural circuit dynamics and behavior in Parkinsonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kouichi C Nakamura
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TH, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Sharott
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TH, United Kingdom
| | - Takuma Tanaka
- Center for Data Science Education and Research, Shiga University, Hikone, Shiga 522-8522, Japan
| | - Peter J Magill
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TH, United Kingdom
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QX, United Kingdom
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14
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Dooley JC, Sokoloff G, Blumberg MS. Movements during sleep reveal the developmental emergence of a cerebellar-dependent internal model in motor thalamus. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5501-5511.e5. [PMID: 34727521 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
With our eyes closed, we can track a limb's moment-to-moment location in space. If this capacity relied solely on sensory feedback from the limb, we would always be a step behind because sensory feedback takes time: for the execution of rapid and precise movements, such lags are not tolerable. Nervous systems solve this problem by computing representations-or internal models-that mimic movements as they are happening, with the associated neural activity occurring after the motor command but before sensory feedback. Research in adults indicates that the cerebellum is necessary to compute internal models. What is not known, however, is when-and under what conditions-this computational capacity develops. Here, taking advantage of the unique kinematic features of the discrete, spontaneous limb twitches that characterize active sleep, we captured the developmental emergence of a cerebellar-dependent internal model. Using rats at postnatal days (P) 12, P16, and P20, we compared neural activity in the ventral posterior (VP) and ventral lateral (VL) thalamic nuclei, both of which receive somatosensory input but only the latter of which receives cerebellar input. At all ages, twitch-related activity in VP lagged behind the movement, consistent with sensory processing; similar activity was observed in VL through P16. At P20, however, VL activity no longer lagged behind movement but instead precisely mimicked the movement itself; this activity depended on cerebellar input. In addition to demonstrating the emergence of internal models of movement, these findings implicate twitches in their development and calibration through, at least, the preweanling period.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Dooley
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
| | - Greta Sokoloff
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Mark S Blumberg
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52245, USA; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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15
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Magnusson JL, Leventhal DK. Revisiting the "Paradox of Stereotaxic Surgery": Insights Into Basal Ganglia-Thalamic Interactions. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:725876. [PMID: 34512279 PMCID: PMC8429495 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.725876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Basal ganglia dysfunction is implicated in movement disorders including Parkinson Disease, dystonia, and choreiform disorders. Contradicting standard "rate models" of basal ganglia-thalamic interactions, internal pallidotomy improves both hypo- and hyper-kinetic movement disorders. This "paradox of stereotaxic surgery" was recognized shortly after rate models were developed, and is underscored by the outcomes of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders. Despite strong evidence that DBS activates local axons, the clinical effects of lesions and DBS are nearly identical. These observations argue against standard models in which GABAergic basal ganglia output gates thalamic activity, and raise the question of how lesions and stimulation can have similar effects. These paradoxes may be resolved by considering thalamocortical loops as primary drivers of motor output. Rather than suppressing or releasing cortex via motor thalamus, the basal ganglia may modulate the timing of thalamic perturbations to cortical activity. Motor cortex exhibits rotational dynamics during movement, allowing the same thalamocortical perturbation to affect motor output differently depending on its timing with respect to the rotational cycle. We review classic and recent studies of basal ganglia, thalamic, and cortical physiology to propose a revised model of basal ganglia-thalamocortical function with implications for basic physiology and neuromodulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel K Leventhal
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Parkinson Disease Foundation Research Center of Excellence, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Neurology, VA Ann Arbor Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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16
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Nejad MM, Rotter S, Schmidt R. Basal ganglia and cortical control of thalamic rebound spikes. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:4295-4313. [PMID: 33914390 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Movement-related decreases in firing rate have been observed in basal ganglia output neurons. They may transmit motor signals to the thalamus, but the effect of these firing rate decreases on downstream neurons in the motor thalamus is not known. One possibility is that they lead to thalamic post-inhibitory rebound spikes. However, it has also been argued that the physiological conditions permitting rebound spiking are pathological, and primarily present in Parkinson's disease. As in Parkinson's disease neural activity becomes pathologically correlated, we investigated the impact of correlations in basal ganglia output on the transmission of motor signals using a Hodgkin-Huxley model of thalamocortical neurons. We found that such correlations disrupt the transmission of motor signals via rebound spikes by decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio and increasing the trial-to-trial variability. We further examined the role of sensory responses in basal ganglia output neurons and the effect of cortical excitation of motor thalamus in modulating rebound spiking. Interestingly, both could either promote or suppress the generation of rebound spikes depending on their timing relative to the motor signal. Finally, we determined parameter regimes, such as levels of excitation, under which rebound spiking is feasible in the model, and confirmed that the conditions for rebound spiking are primarily given in pathological regimes. However, we also identified specific conditions in the model that would allow rebound spiking to occur in healthy animals in a small subset of thalamic neurons. Overall, our model provides novel insights into differences between normal and pathological transmission of motor signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammadreza Mohagheghi Nejad
- Bernstein Center Freiburg and Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Computational Science and Technology, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stefan Rotter
- Bernstein Center Freiburg and Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Robert Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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17
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Li M, Wang X, Yao X, Wang X, Chen F, Zhang X, Sun S, He F, Jia Q, Guo M, Chen D, Sun Y, Li Y, He Q, Zhu Z, Wang M. Roles of Motor Cortex Neuron Classes in Reach-Related Modulation for Hemiparkinsonian Rats. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:645849. [PMID: 33986639 PMCID: PMC8111217 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.645849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Disruption of the function of the primary motor cortex (M1) is thought to play a critical role in motor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD). Detailed information regarding the specific aspects of M1 circuits that become abnormal is lacking. We recorded single units and local field potentials (LFPs) of M1 neurons in unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion rats and control rats to assess the impact of dopamine (DA) cell loss during rest and a forelimb reaching task. Our results indicated that M1 neurons can be classified into two groups (putative pyramidal neurons and putative interneurons) and that 6-OHDA could modify the activity of different M1 subpopulations to a large extent. Reduced activation of putative pyramidal neurons during inattentive rest and reaching was observed. In addition, 6-OHDA intoxication was associated with an increase in certain LFP frequencies, especially those in the beta range (broadly defined here as any frequency between 12 and 35 Hz), which become pathologically exaggerated throughout cortico-basal ganglia circuits after dopamine depletion. Furthermore, assessment of different spike-LFP coupling parameters revealed that the putative pyramidal neurons were particularly prone to being phase-locked to ongoing cortical oscillations at 12-35 Hz during reaching. Conversely, putative interneurons were neither hypoactive nor synchronized to ongoing cortical oscillations. These data collectively demonstrate a neuron type-selective alteration in the M1 in hemiparkinsonian rats. These alterations hamper the ability of the M1 to contribute to motor conduction and are likely some of the main contributors to motor impairments in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Xuenan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.,Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaomeng Yao
- School of Nursing, Qilu Institute of Technology, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaojun Wang
- The First Hospital Affiliated With Shandong First Medicine University, Jinan, China
| | - Feiyu Chen
- School of International Education, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Editorial Department of Journal of Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, China
| | - Shuang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Feng He
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Qingmei Jia
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Mengnan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Dadian Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Yue Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Yuchuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Qin He
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Zhiwei Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Min Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
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18
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Primary motor cortex in Parkinson's disease: Functional changes and opportunities for neurostimulation. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 147:105159. [PMID: 33152506 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Movement abnormalities of Parkinson's disease (PD) arise from disordered neural activity in multiple interconnected brain structures. The planning and execution of movement requires recruitment of a heterogeneous collection of pyramidal projection neurons in the primary motor cortex (M1). The neural representations of movement in M1 single-cell and field potential recordings are directly and indirectly influenced by the midbrain dopaminergic neurons that degenerate in PD. This review examines M1 functional alterations in PD as uncovered by electrophysiological recordings and neurostimulation studies in patients and experimental animal models. Dysfunction of the parkinsonian M1 depends on the severity and/or duration of dopamine-depletion and the species examined, and is expressed as alterations in movement-related firing dynamics; functional reorganisation of local circuits; and changes in field potential beta oscillations. Neurostimulation methods that modulate M1 activity directly (e.g., transcranial magnetic stimulation) or indirectly (subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation) improve motor function in PD patients, showing that targeted neuromodulation of M1 is a realistic therapy. We argue that the therapeutic profile of M1 neurostimulation is likely to be greatly enhanced with alternative technologies that permit cell-type specific control and incorporate feedback from electrophysiological biomarkers measured locally.
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19
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Stefani A, Cerroni R, Pierantozzi M, D’Angelo V, Grandi L, Spanetta M, Galati S. Deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease patients and routine 6‐OHDA rodent models: Synergies and pitfalls. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:2322-2343. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Stefani
- Department of System Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Surgery University of Rome “Tor Vergata” Rome Italy
| | - Rocco Cerroni
- Department of System Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Surgery University of Rome “Tor Vergata” Rome Italy
| | - Mariangela Pierantozzi
- Department of System Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Surgery University of Rome “Tor Vergata” Rome Italy
| | - Vincenza D’Angelo
- Department of System Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Surgery University of Rome “Tor Vergata” Rome Italy
| | - Laura Grandi
- Center for Movement Disorders Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland Lugano Switzerland
| | - Matteo Spanetta
- Department of System Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Surgery University of Rome “Tor Vergata” Rome Italy
| | - Salvatore Galati
- Center for Movement Disorders Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland Lugano Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences Università della Svizzera Italiana Lugano Switzerland
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20
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Schwab BC, Kase D, Zimnik A, Rosenbaum R, Codianni MG, Rubin JE, Turner RS. Neural activity during a simple reaching task in macaques is counter to gating and rebound in basal ganglia-thalamic communication. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000829. [PMID: 33048920 PMCID: PMC7584254 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Task-related activity in the ventral thalamus, a major target of basal ganglia output, is often assumed to be permitted or triggered by changes in basal ganglia activity through gating- or rebound-like mechanisms. To test those hypotheses, we sampled single-unit activity from connected basal ganglia output and thalamic nuclei (globus pallidus-internus [GPi] and ventrolateral anterior nucleus [VLa]) in monkeys performing a reaching task. Rate increases were the most common peri-movement change in both nuclei. Moreover, peri-movement changes generally began earlier in VLa than in GPi. Simultaneously recorded GPi-VLa pairs rarely showed short-time-scale spike-to-spike correlations or slow across-trials covariations, and both were equally positive and negative. Finally, spontaneous GPi bursts and pauses were both followed by small, slow reductions in VLa rate. These results appear incompatible with standard gating and rebound models. Still, gating or rebound may be possible in other physiological situations: simulations show how GPi-VLa communication can scale with GPi synchrony and GPi-to-VLa convergence, illuminating how synchrony of basal ganglia output during motor learning or in pathological conditions may render this pathway effective. Thus, in the healthy state, basal ganglia-thalamic communication during learned movement is more subtle than expected, with changes in firing rates possibly being dominated by a common external source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina C. Schwab
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Technical Medical Center, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Daisuke Kase
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Andrew Zimnik
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Robert Rosenbaum
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Marcello G. Codianni
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jonathan E. Rubin
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Robert S. Turner
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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21
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Maith O, Villagrasa Escudero F, Dinkelbach HÜ, Baladron J, Horn A, Irmen F, Kühn AA, Hamker FH. A computational model‐based analysis of basal ganglia pathway changes in Parkinson’s disease inferred from resting‐state fMRI. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:2278-2295. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Maith
- Department of Computer Science Chemnitz University of Technology Chemnitz Germany
| | | | - Helge Ülo Dinkelbach
- Department of Computer Science Chemnitz University of Technology Chemnitz Germany
| | - Javier Baladron
- Department of Computer Science Chemnitz University of Technology Chemnitz Germany
| | - Andreas Horn
- Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation Unit, Department for Neurology Charité–University Medicine Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Friederike Irmen
- Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation Unit, Department for Neurology Charité–University Medicine Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Andrea A. Kühn
- Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation Unit, Department for Neurology Charité–University Medicine Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Fred H. Hamker
- Department of Computer Science Chemnitz University of Technology Chemnitz Germany
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22
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Albaugh DL, Huang C, Ye S, Paré J, Smith Y. Glutamatergic inputs to GABAergic interneurons in the motor thalamus of control and parkinsonian monkeys. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:2049-2060. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L. Albaugh
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurological Disorders Yerkes National Primate Research Center Emory University Atlanta GA USA
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease ResearchEmory University Atlanta GA USA
| | - Christina Huang
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurological Disorders Yerkes National Primate Research Center Emory University Atlanta GA USA
| | - Sherry Ye
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurological Disorders Yerkes National Primate Research Center Emory University Atlanta GA USA
| | - Jean‐François Paré
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurological Disorders Yerkes National Primate Research Center Emory University Atlanta GA USA
| | - Yoland Smith
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurological Disorders Yerkes National Primate Research Center Emory University Atlanta GA USA
- Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease ResearchEmory University Atlanta GA USA
- Department of Neurology School of Medicine Emory University Atlanta GA USA
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23
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Abstract
Behavior is readily classified into patterns of movements with inferred common goals-actions. Goals may be discrete; movements are continuous. Through the careful study of isolated movements in laboratory settings, or via introspection, it has become clear that animals can exhibit exquisite graded specification to their movements. Moreover, graded control can be as fundamental to success as the selection of which action to perform under many naturalistic scenarios: a predator adjusting its speed to intercept moving prey, or a tool-user exerting the perfect amount of force to complete a delicate task. The basal ganglia are a collection of nuclei in vertebrates that extend from the forebrain (telencephalon) to the midbrain (mesencephalon), constituting a major descending extrapyramidal pathway for control over midbrain and brainstem premotor structures. Here we discuss how this pathway contributes to the continuous specification of movements that endows our voluntary actions with vigor and grace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junchol Park
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA;
| | - Luke T Coddington
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA;
| | - Joshua T Dudman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA;
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24
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Cortical pattern generation during dexterous movement is input-driven. Nature 2019; 577:386-391. [PMID: 31875851 PMCID: PMC6962553 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1869-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Motor cortex controls skilled arm movement by sending temporal patterns of activity to lower motor centers1. Local cortical dynamics are thought to shape these patterns throughout movement execution2–4. External inputs have been implicated in setting the initial state of motor cortex5,6, but they may also have a pattern-generating role. Here, we dissect the contribution of local dynamics and inputs to cortical pattern generation during a prehension task in mice. Perturbing cortex to an aberrant state prevented movement initiation, but after the perturbation was released, cortex either bypassed the normal initial state and immediately generated the pattern that controls reaching, or it failed to generate this pattern. The difference in these two outcomes was likely due to external inputs. We directly investigated the role of inputs by inactivating thalamus; this perturbed cortical activity and disrupted limb kinematics at any stage of the movement. Activation of thalamocortical axon terminals at different frequencies disrupted cortical activity and arm movement in a graded manner. Simultaneous recordings revealed that both thalamic activity and the current state of cortex predicted changes in cortical activity. Thus, the pattern generator for dexterous arm movement is distributed across multiple, strongly-interacting brain regions.
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25
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Swain AJ, Galvan A, Wichmann T, Smith Y. Structural plasticity of GABAergic and glutamatergic networks in the motor thalamus of parkinsonian monkeys. J Comp Neurol 2019; 528:1436-1456. [PMID: 31808567 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In the primate thalamus, the parvocellular ventral anterior nucleus (VApc) and the centromedian nucleus (CM) receive GABAergic projections from the internal globus pallidus (GPi) and glutamatergic inputs from motor cortices. In this study, we used electron microscopy to assess potential structural changes in GABAergic and glutamatergic microcircuits in the VApc and CM of MPTP-treated parkinsonian monkeys. The intensity of immunostaining for GABAergic markers in VApc and CM did not differ between control and parkinsonian monkeys. In the electron microscope, three major types of terminals were identified in both nuclei: (a) vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (vGluT1)-positive terminals forming asymmetric synapses (type As), which originate from the cerebral cortex, (b) GABAergic terminals forming single symmetric synapses (type S1), which likely arise from the reticular nucleus and GABAergic interneurons, and (c) GABAergic terminals forming multiple symmetric synapses (type S2), which originate from GPi. The density of As terminals outnumbered that of S1 and S2 terminals in VApc and CM of control and parkinsonian animals. No significant change was found in the abundance and synaptic connectivity of S1 and S2 terminals in VApc or CM of MPTP-treated monkeys, while the prevalence of "As" terminals in VApc of parkinsonian monkeys was 51.4% lower than in controls. The cross-sectional area of vGluT1-positive boutons in both VApc and CM of parkinsonian monkeys was significantly larger than in controls, but their pattern of innervation of thalamic cells was not altered. Our findings suggest that the corticothalamic system undergoes significant synaptic remodeling in the parkinsonian state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley J Swain
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurological Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia.,Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Adriana Galvan
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurological Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia.,Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Thomas Wichmann
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurological Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia.,Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Yoland Smith
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurological Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia.,Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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Hyland BI, Seeger-Armbruster S, Smither RA, Parr-Brownlie LC. Altered Recruitment of Motor Cortex Neuronal Activity During the Grasping Phase of Skilled Reaching in a Chronic Rat Model of Unilateral Parkinsonism. J Neurosci 2019; 39:9660-9672. [PMID: 31641050 PMCID: PMC6880456 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0720-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease causes prominent difficulties in the generation and execution of voluntary limb movements, including regulation of distal muscles and coordination of proximal and distal movement components to achieve accurate grasping. Difficulties with manual dexterity have a major impact on activities of daily living. We used extracellular single neuron recordings to investigate the neural underpinnings of parkinsonian movement deficits in the motor cortex of chronic unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion male rats performing a skilled reach-to-grasp task the. Both normal movements and parkinsonian deficits in this task have striking homology to human performance. In lesioned animals there were several differences in the activity of cortical neurons during reaches by the affected limb compared with control rats. These included an increase in proportions of neurons showing rate decreases, along with increased amplitude of their average rate-decrease response at specific times during the reach, suggesting a shift in the balance of net excitation and inhibition of cortical neurons; a significant increase in the duration of rate-increase responses, which could result from reduced coupling of cortical activity to specific movement components; and changes in the timing and incidence of neurons with pure rate-increase or biphasic responses, particularly at the end of reach when grasping would normally be occurring. The changes in cortical activity may account for the deficits that occur in skilled distal motor control following dopamine depletion, and highlight the need for treatment strategies targeted toward modulating cortical mechanisms for fine distal motor control in patients.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We show for the first time in a chronic lesion rat model of Parkinson's disease movement deficits that there are specific changes in motor cortex neuron activity associated with the grasping phase of a skilled motor task. Such changes provide a possible mechanism underpinning the problems with manual dexterity seen in Parkinson's patients and highlight the need for treatment strategies targeted toward distal motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Roseanna A Smither
- Department of Physiology and
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Science and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand and the Brain Research New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence
| | - Louise C Parr-Brownlie
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Science and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand and the Brain Research New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence
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Tanaka YH, Tanaka YR, Kondo M, Terada SI, Kawaguchi Y, Matsuzaki M. Thalamocortical Axonal Activity in Motor Cortex Exhibits Layer-Specific Dynamics during Motor Learning. Neuron 2018; 100:244-258.e12. [PMID: 30174116 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus is the hub through which neural signals are transmitted from the basal ganglia and cerebellum to the neocortex. However, thalamocortical axonal activity during motor learning remains largely undescribed. We conducted two-photon calcium imaging of thalamocortical axonal activity in the motor cortex of mice learning a self-initiated lever-pull task. Layer 1 (L1) axons came to exhibit activity at lever-pull initiation and termination, while layer 3 (L3) axons did so at lever-pull initiation. L1 population activity had a sequence structure related to both lever-pull duration and reproducibility. Stimulation of the substantia nigra pars reticulata activated more L1 than L3 axons, whereas deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) stimulation did the opposite. Lesions to either the dorsal striatum or the DCN impaired motor learning and disrupted temporal dynamics in both layers. Thus, layer-specific thalamocortical signals evolve with the progression of learning, which requires both the basal ganglia and cerebellar activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuyo H Tanaka
- Division of Brain Circuits, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan; CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro R Tanaka
- Division of Brain Circuits, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan; CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masashi Kondo
- Division of Brain Circuits, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan; Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichiro Terada
- Division of Brain Circuits, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan; Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasuo Kawaguchi
- CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; SOKENDAI (the Graduate University of Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Japan; Division of Cerebral Circuitry, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Masanori Matsuzaki
- Division of Brain Circuits, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan; CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan; Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; SOKENDAI (the Graduate University of Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Japan; International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, Tokyo, Japan.
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28
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Du G, Zhuang P, Hallett M, Zhang YQ, Li JY, Li YJ. Properties of oscillatory neuronal activity in the basal ganglia and thalamus in patients with Parkinson's disease. Transl Neurodegener 2018; 7:17. [PMID: 30065816 PMCID: PMC6062949 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-018-0123-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The cardinal features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) are bradykinesia, rigidity and rest tremor. Abnormal activity in the basal ganglia is predicted to underlie the mechanism of motor symptoms. This study aims to characterize properties of oscillatory activity in the basal ganglia and motor thalamus in patients with PD. Methods Twenty-nine patients with PD who underwent bilateral or unilateral electrode implantation for subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS (n = 11), unilateral pallidotomy (n = 9) and unilateral thalamotomy (n = 9) were studied. Microelectrode recordings in the STN, globus pallidus internus (GPi) and ventral oral posterior/ventral intermediate of thalamus (Vop/Vim) were performed. Electromyography of the contralateral limbs was recorded. Single unit characteristics including interspike intervals were analyzed. Spectral and coherence analyses were assessed. Mean spontaneous firing rate (MSFR) of neurons was calculated. Analysis of variance and X2 test were performed. Results Of 76 STN neurons, 39.5% were 4–6 Hz band oscillatory neurons and 28.9% were β frequency band (βFB) oscillatory neurons. The MSFR was 44.2 ± 7.6 Hz. Of 62 GPi neurons, 37.1% were 4–6 Hz band oscillatory neurons and 27.4% were βFB neurons. The MSFR was 80.9 ± 9.6 Hz. Of 44 Vop neurons, 65.9% were 4–6 Hz band oscillatory neurons and 9% were βFB neurons. The MSFR was 24.4 ± 4.2 Hz. Of 30 Vim oscillatory neurons, 70% were 4–6 Hz band oscillatory neurons and 13.3% were βFB neurons. The MSFR was 30.3 ± 3.6 Hz. Further analysis indicated that proportion of βFB oscillatory neurons in STN and GPi was higher than that of similar neurons in the Vop and Vim (P < 0.05). Conversely, the proportion of 4–6 Hz band oscillatory neurons and tremor related neurons in the Vim and Vop was higher than that of STN and GPi (P < 0.05). The highest MSFR was for GPi oscillatory neurons whereas the lowest MSFR was for Vop oscillatory neurons (P < 0.005). Conclusion The alterations in neuronal activity in basal ganglia play a critical role in generation of parkinsonism. β oscillatory activity is more prominent in basal ganglia than in thalamus suggesting that the activity likely results from dopaminergic depletion. While both basal ganglia and thalamus have tremor activity, the thalamus appears to play a more important role in tremor production, and basal ganglia β oscillatory activity might be the trigger.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Du
- 1Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.45 Changchun Street , Xicheng District, Beijing, 100053 China
| | - P Zhuang
- 1Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.45 Changchun Street , Xicheng District, Beijing, 100053 China.,3Center of Parkinson's disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.,4Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - M Hallett
- Human Motor Control Section, Medical Neurology Branch, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Y-Q Zhang
- 1Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.45 Changchun Street , Xicheng District, Beijing, 100053 China
| | - J-Y Li
- 1Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.45 Changchun Street , Xicheng District, Beijing, 100053 China
| | - Y-J Li
- 1Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.45 Changchun Street , Xicheng District, Beijing, 100053 China
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Distinct Populations of Motor Thalamic Neurons Encode Action Initiation, Action Selection, and Movement Vigor. J Neurosci 2018; 38:6563-6573. [PMID: 29934350 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0463-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor thalamus (Mthal) comprises the ventral anterior, ventral lateral, and ventral medial thalamic nuclei in rodents. This subcortical hub receives input from the basal ganglia (BG), cerebellum, and reticular thalamus in addition to connecting reciprocally with motor cortical regions. Despite the central location of Mthal, the mechanisms by which it influences movement remain unclear. To determine its role in generating ballistic, goal-directed movement, we recorded single-unit Mthal activity as male rats performed a two-alternative forced-choice task. A large population of Mthal neurons increased their firing briefly near movement initiation and could be segregated into functional groups based on their behavioral correlates. The activity of "initiation" units was more tightly locked to instructional cues than movement onset, did not predict which direction the rat would move, and was anticorrelated with reaction time (RT). Conversely, the activity of "execution" units was more tightly locked to movement onset than instructional cues, predicted which direction the rat would move, and was anticorrelated with both RT and movement time. These results suggest that Mthal influences choice RT performance in two stages: short latency, nonspecific action initiation followed by action selection/invigoration. We discuss the implications of these results for models of motor control incorporating BG and cerebellar circuits.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Motor thalamus (Mthal) is a central node linking subcortical and cortical motor circuits, though its precise role in motor control is unclear. Here, we define distinct populations of Mthal neurons that either encode movement initiation, or both action selection and movement vigor. These results have important implications for understanding how basal ganglia, cerebellar, and motor cortical signals are integrated. Such an understanding is critical to defining the pathophysiology of a range of BG- and cerebellum-linked movement disorders, as well as refining pharmacologic and neuromodulatory approaches to their treatment.
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30
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Del-Monte J, Bayard S, Graziani P, Gély-Nargeot MC. Cognitive, Emotional, and Auto-Activation Dimensions of Apathy in Parkinson's Disease. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:230. [PMID: 29209182 PMCID: PMC5702439 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Apathy is one of the most frequent non-motor manifestations in Parkinson's disease (PD) that can lead to a whole range of deleterious outcomes. In 2006, Levy and Dubois proposed a model that distinguishes three different apathy aetiologies in PD divided into three subtypes of disrupted processing: “emotional-affective,” “cognitive,” and “auto-activation.” These three dimensions associated with dopamine depletion present in the pathology would lead to the emergence of apathy in PD. The aim of this mini-review was to describe and discuss studies that have explore links between apathy and the three subtypes of disrupted processing proposed by Levy and Dubois (2006) and as well as the links between these dimensions and dopamine depletion in Parkinson's disease. The lack of consensus regarding the emotional-affective correlates of apathy and the lack of evidence supporting the hypothesis of the auto-activation deficit, do not clearly confirm the validity of Levy and Dubois's model. Furthermore, the suggested association between dopaminergic depletion and apathy must also be clarified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Del-Monte
- Social Psychology Laboratory EA 849, Aix-Marseille and Nîmes Universities, Nîmes, France
| | - Sophie Bayard
- Epsylon, Laboratory Dynamic of Human Abilities & Health Behaviors, Department of Sport Sciences, Psychology and Medicine, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierluigi Graziani
- Social Psychology Laboratory EA 849, Aix-Marseille and Nîmes Universities, Nîmes, France
| | - Marie C Gély-Nargeot
- Epsylon, Laboratory Dynamic of Human Abilities & Health Behaviors, Department of Sport Sciences, Psychology and Medicine, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
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31
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Kammermeier S, Pittard D, Hamada I, Wichmann T. Effects of high-frequency stimulation of the internal pallidal segment on neuronal activity in the thalamus in parkinsonian monkeys. J Neurophysiol 2016; 116:2869-2881. [PMID: 27683881 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00104.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation of the internal globus pallidus (GPi) is a major treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease. The effects of this intervention on electrical activity patterns in targets of GPi output, specifically in the thalamus, are poorly understood. The experiments described here examined these effects using electrophysiological recordings in two Rhesus monkeys rendered moderately parkinsonian through treatment with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), after sampling control data in the same animals. Analysis of spontaneous spiking activity of neurons in the basal ganglia-receiving areas of the ventral thalamus showed that MPTP-induced parkinsonism is associated with a reduction of firing rates of segments of the data that contained neither bursts nor decelerations, and with increased burst firing. Spectral analyses revealed an increase of power in the 3- to 13-Hz band and a reduction in the γ-range in the spiking activity of these neurons. Electrical stimulation of the ventrolateral motor territory of GPi with macroelectrodes, mimicking deep brain stimulation in parkinsonian patients (bipolar electrodes, 0.5 mm intercontact distance, biphasic stimuli, 120 Hz, 100 μs/phase, 200 μA), had antiparkinsonian effects. The stimulation markedly reduced oscillations in thalamic firing in the 13- to 30-Hz range and uncoupled the spiking activity of recorded neurons from simultaneously recorded local field potential (LFP) activity. These results confirm that oscillatory and nonoscillatory characteristics of spontaneous activity in the basal ganglia receiving ventral thalamus are altered in MPTP-induced parkinsonism. Electrical stimulation of GPi did not entrain thalamic activity but changed oscillatory activity in the ventral thalamus and altered the relationship between spikes and simultaneously recorded LFPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Kammermeier
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Udall Center of Excellence in Parkinson's Disease Research, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Damien Pittard
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Udall Center of Excellence in Parkinson's Disease Research, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Ikuma Hamada
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Udall Center of Excellence in Parkinson's Disease Research, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Thomas Wichmann
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; .,School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; and.,Udall Center of Excellence in Parkinson's Disease Research, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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32
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Ellens DJ, Gaidica M, Toader A, Peng S, Shue S, John T, Bova A, Leventhal DK. An automated rat single pellet reaching system with high-speed video capture. J Neurosci Methods 2016; 271:119-27. [PMID: 27450925 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2016.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Revised: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Single pellet reaching is an established task for studying fine motor control in which rats reach for, grasp, and eat food pellets in a stereotyped sequence. Most incarnations of this task require constant attention, limiting the number of animals that can be tested and the number of trials per session. Automated versions allow more interventions in more animals, but must be robust and reproducible. NEW METHOD Our system automatically delivers single reward pellets for rats to grasp with their forepaw. Reaches are detected using real-time computer vision, which triggers video acquisition from multiple angles using mirrors. This allows us to record high-speed (>300 frames per second) video, and trigger interventions (e.g., optogenetics) with high temporal precision. Individual video frames are triggered by digital pulses that can be synchronized with behavior, experimental interventions, or recording devices (e.g., electrophysiology). The system is housed within a soundproof chamber with integrated lighting and ventilation, allowing multiple skilled reaching systems in one room. RESULTS We show that rats acquire the automated task similarly to manual versions, that the task is robust, and can be synchronized with optogenetic interventions. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Existing skilled reaching protocols require high levels of investigator involvement, or, if ad libitum, do not allow for integration of high-speed, synchronized data collection. CONCLUSION This task will facilitate the study of motor learning and control by efficiently recording large numbers of skilled movements. It can be adapted for use with modern neurophysiology, which demands high temporal precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien J Ellens
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Matt Gaidica
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Andrew Toader
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Sophia Peng
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Shirley Shue
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Titus John
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Alexandra Bova
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Daniel K Leventhal
- Neurology Service, VA Ann Arbor Health System, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
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Sizemore RJ, Seeger-Armbruster S, Hughes SM, Parr-Brownlie LC. Viral vector-based tools advance knowledge of basal ganglia anatomy and physiology. J Neurophysiol 2016; 115:2124-46. [PMID: 26888111 PMCID: PMC4869490 DOI: 10.1152/jn.01131.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral vectors were originally developed to deliver genes into host cells for therapeutic potential. However, viral vector use in neuroscience research has increased because they enhance interpretation of the anatomy and physiology of brain circuits compared with conventional tract tracing or electrical stimulation techniques. Viral vectors enable neuronal or glial subpopulations to be labeled or stimulated, which can be spatially restricted to a single target nucleus or pathway. Here we review the use of viral vectors to examine the structure and function of motor and limbic basal ganglia (BG) networks in normal and pathological states. We outline the use of viral vectors, particularly lentivirus and adeno-associated virus, in circuit tracing, optogenetic stimulation, and designer drug stimulation experiments. Key studies that have used viral vectors to trace and image pathways and connectivity at gross or ultrastructural levels are reviewed. We explain how optogenetic stimulation and designer drugs used to modulate a distinct pathway and neuronal subpopulation have enhanced our mechanistic understanding of BG function in health and pathophysiology in disease. Finally, we outline how viral vector technology may be applied to neurological and psychiatric conditions to offer new treatments with enhanced outcomes for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel J Sizemore
- Department of Anatomy, Otago School of Medical Sciences, Brain Health Research Centre, Brain Research New Zealand, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sonja Seeger-Armbruster
- Department of Physiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, Brain Health Research Centre, Brain Research New Zealand, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; and
| | - Stephanie M Hughes
- Department of Biochemistry, Otago School of Medical Sciences, Brain Health Research Centre, Brain Research New Zealand, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Louise C Parr-Brownlie
- Department of Anatomy, Otago School of Medical Sciences, Brain Health Research Centre, Brain Research New Zealand, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand;
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Devergnas A, Chen E, Ma Y, Hamada I, Pittard D, Kammermeier S, Mullin AP, Faundez V, Lindsley CW, Jones C, Smith Y, Wichmann T. Anatomical localization of Cav3.1 calcium channels and electrophysiological effects of T-type calcium channel blockade in the motor thalamus of MPTP-treated monkeys. J Neurophysiol 2015; 115:470-85. [PMID: 26538609 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00858.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Conventional anti-Parkinsonian dopamine replacement therapy is often complicated by side effects that limit the use of these medications. There is a continuing need to develop nondopaminergic approaches to treat Parkinsonism. One such approach is to use medications that normalize dopamine depletion-related firing abnormalities in the basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuitry. In this study, we assessed the potential of a specific T-type calcium channel blocker (ML218) to eliminate pathologic burst patterns of firing in the basal ganglia-receiving territory of the motor thalamus in Parkinsonian monkeys. We also carried out an anatomical study, demonstrating that the immunoreactivity for T-type calcium channels is strongly expressed in the motor thalamus in normal and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated monkeys. At the electron microscopic level, dendrites accounted for >90% of all tissue elements that were immunoreactive for voltage-gated calcium channel, type 3.2-containing T-type calcium channels in normal and Parkinsonian monkeys. Subsequent in vivo electrophysiologic studies in awake MPTP-treated Parkinsonian monkeys demonstrated that intrathalamic microinjections of ML218 (0.5 μl of a 2.5-mM solution, injected at 0.1-0.2 μl/min) partially normalized the thalamic activity by reducing the proportion of rebound bursts and increasing the proportion of spikes in non-rebound bursts. The drug also attenuated oscillatory activity in the 3-13-Hz frequency range and increased gamma frequency oscillations. However, ML218 did not normalize Parkinsonism-related changes in firing rates and oscillatory activity in the beta frequency range. Whereas the described changes are promising, a more complete assessment of the cellular and behavioral effects of ML218 (or similar drugs) is needed for a full appraisal of their anti-Parkinsonian potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annaelle Devergnas
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia; Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia;
| | - Erdong Chen
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia; Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Yuxian Ma
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia; Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Ikuma Hamada
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia; Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Damien Pittard
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia; Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Stefan Kammermeier
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia; Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Klinikum der Universität München, Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik, München, Germany
| | - Ariana P Mullin
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Victor Faundez
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Center for Social Translational Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; and
| | - Carrie Jones
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; and
| | - Yoland Smith
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia; Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Thomas Wichmann
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia; Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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35
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Galvan A, Devergnas A, Wichmann T. Alterations in neuronal activity in basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits in the parkinsonian state. Front Neuroanat 2015; 9:5. [PMID: 25698937 PMCID: PMC4318426 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2015.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 01/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In patients with Parkinson’s disease and in animal models of this disorder, neurons in the basal ganglia and related regions in thalamus and cortex show changes that can be recorded by using electrophysiologic single-cell recording techniques, including altered firing rates and patterns, pathologic oscillatory activity and increased inter-neuronal synchronization. In addition, changes in synaptic potentials or in the joint spiking activities of populations of neurons can be monitored as alterations in local field potentials (LFPs), electroencephalograms (EEGs) or electrocorticograms (ECoGs). Most of the mentioned electrophysiologic changes are probably related to the degeneration of diencephalic dopaminergic neurons, leading to dopamine loss in the striatum and other basal ganglia nuclei, although degeneration of non-dopaminergic cell groups may also have a role. The altered electrical activity of the basal ganglia and associated nuclei may contribute to some of the motor signs of the disease. We here review the current knowledge of the electrophysiologic changes at the single cell level, the level of local populations of neural elements, and the level of the entire basal ganglia-thalamocortical network in parkinsonism, and discuss the possible use of this information to optimize treatment approaches to Parkinson’s disease, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Galvan
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA ; Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA ; Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Annaelle Devergnas
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA ; Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Thomas Wichmann
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA ; Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA ; Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
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36
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Seeger-Armbruster S, Bosch-Bouju C, Little STC, Smither RA, Hughes SM, Hyland BI, Parr-Brownlie LC. Patterned, but not tonic, optogenetic stimulation in motor thalamus improves reaching in acute drug-induced Parkinsonian rats. J Neurosci 2015; 35:1211-6. [PMID: 25609635 PMCID: PMC6605530 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3277-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Revised: 11/09/2014] [Accepted: 11/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
High-frequency deep brain stimulation (DBS) in motor thalamus (Mthal) ameliorates tremor but not akinesia in Parkinson's disease. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there are effective methods of Mthal stimulation to treat akinesia. Glutamatergic Mthal neurons, transduced with channelrhodopsin-2 by injection of lentiviral vector (Lenti.CaMKII.hChR2(H134R).mCherry), were selectively stimulated with blue light (473 nm) via a chronically implanted fiber-optic probe. Rats performed a reach-to-grasp task in either acute drug-induced parkinsonian akinesia (0.03-0.07 mg/kg haloperidol, s.c.) or control (vehicle injection) conditions, and the number of reaches was recorded for 5 min before, during, and after stimulation. We compared the effect of DBS using complex physiological patterns previously recorded in the Mthal of a control rat during reaching or exploring behavior, with tonic DBS delivering the same number of stimuli per second (rate-control 6.2 or 1.8 Hz, respectively) and with stimulation patterns commonly used in other brain regions to treat neurological conditions (tonic 130 Hz, theta burst (TBS), and tonic 15 Hz rate-control for TBS). Control rats typically executed >150 reaches per 5 min, which was unaffected by any of the stimulation patterns. Acute parkinsonian rats executed <20 reaches, displaying marked akinesia, which was significantly improved by stimulating with the physiological reaching pattern or TBS (both p < 0.05), whereas the exploring and all tonic patterns failed to improve reaching. Data indicate that the Mthal may be an effective site to treat akinesia, but the pattern of stimulation is critical for improving reaching in parkinsonian rats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Stephanie M Hughes
- Biochemistry, Otago School of Medical Science, Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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