scholarly journals The Subthalamic Nucleus in Primary Dystonia: Single-Unit Discharge Characteristics

2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 3740-3752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren E. Schrock ◽  
Jill L. Ostrem ◽  
Robert S. Turner ◽  
Shoichi A. Shimamoto ◽  
Philip A. Starr
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Globus Pallidus ◽  
Subthalamic Nucleus ◽  
Single Unit ◽  
Discharge Rate ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Oscillatory Activity ◽  
Inhibitory Input ◽  
Primary Dystonia

Most models of dystonia pathophysiology predict alterations of activity in the basal ganglia thalamocortical motor circuit. The globus pallidus interna (GPi) shows bursting and oscillatory neuronal discharge in both human dystonia and in animal models, but it is not clear which intrinsic basal ganglia pathways are implicated in this abnormal output. The subthalamic nucleus (STN) receives prominent excitatory input directly from cortical areas implicated in dystonia pathogenesis and inhibitory input from the external globus pallidus. The goal of this study was to elucidate the role of the STN in dystonia by analyzing STN neuronal discharge in patients with idiopathic dystonia. Data were collected in awake patients undergoing microelectrode recording for implantation of STN deep brain stimulation electrodes. We recorded 62 STN neurons in 9 patients with primary dystonia. As a comparison group, we recorded 143 STN neurons in 20 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Single-unit activity was discriminated off-line by principal component analysis and evaluated with respect to discharge rate, bursting, and oscillatory activity. The mean STN discharge rate in dystonia patients was 26.3 Hz (SD 13.6), which was lower than that in the PD patients (35.6 Hz, SD 15.2), but higher than published values for subjects without basal ganglia dysfunction. Oscillatory activity was found in both disorders, with a higher proportion of units oscillating in the beta range in PD. Bursting discharge was a prominent feature of both dystonia and PD, whereas sensory receptive fields were expanded in PD compared with dystonia. The STN firing characteristics, in conjunction with those previously published for GPi, suggest that bursting and oscillatory discharge in basal ganglia output may be transmitted via pathways involving the STN and provide a pathophysiologic rationale for STN as a surgical target in dystonia.

scholarly journals Sensorimotor processing in the basal ganglia leads to transient beta oscillations during behavior

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amin Mirzaei ◽  
Arvind Kumar ◽  
Daniel Leventhal ◽  
Nicolas Mallet ◽  
Ad Aertsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Computational Model ◽  
Globus Pallidus ◽  
Subthalamic Nucleus ◽  
Single Unit ◽  
Beta Oscillations ◽  
Firing Patterns ◽  
Sensorimotor Processing

AbstractBrief epochs of beta oscillations have been implicated in sensorimotor control in the basal ganglia of task-performing healthy animals. However, which neural processes underlie their generation and how they are affected by sensorimotor processing remains unclear. To determine the mechanisms underlying transient beta oscillations in the local field potential (LFP), we combined computational modeling of the subthalamo-pallidal network for the generation of beta oscillations with realistic stimulation patterns derived from single unit data. The single unit data were recorded from different basal ganglia subregions in rats performing a cued choice task. In the recordings we found distinct firing patterns in the striatum, globus pallidus and subthalamic nucleus related to sensory and motor events during the behavioral task. Using these firing patterns to generate realistic inputs to our network model lead to transient beta oscillations with the same time course as the rat LFP data. In addition, our model can account for further non-intuitive aspects of beta modulation, including beta phase resets following sensory cues and correlations with reaction time. Overall, our model can explain how the combination of temporally regulated sensory responses of the subthalamic nucleus, ramping activity of the subthalamic nucleus, and movement-related activity of the globus pallidus, leads to transient beta oscillations during behavior.Significance StatementTransient beta oscillations emerge in the normal functioning cortico-basal ganglia loop during behavior. In this work we employ a unique approach connecting a computational model closely with experimental data. In this way we achieve a simulation environment for our model that mimics natural input patterns in awake behaving animals. Using this approach we demonstrate that a computational model for beta oscillations in Parkinson’s disease can also account for complex patterns of transient beta oscillations in healthy animals. Therefore, we propose that transient beta oscillations in healthy animals share the same mechanism with pathological beta oscillations in Parkinson’s disease. This important result connects functional and pathological roles of beta oscillations in the basal ganglia.

scholarly journals Interaction of Indirect and Hyperdirect Pathways on Synchrony and Tremor-Related Oscillation in the Basal Ganglia

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Xia Shi ◽  
Danwen Du ◽  
Yuan Wang
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Globus Pallidus ◽  
Subthalamic Nucleus ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Oscillatory Activity ◽  
Theta Band ◽  
Dynamical Mechanism ◽  
Parkinsonian Tremor ◽  
Cortical Input ◽  
Novel Treatments

Low-frequency oscillatory activity (3-9 Hz) and increased synchrony in the basal ganglia (BG) are recognized to be crucial for Parkinsonian tremor. However, the dynamical mechanism underlying the tremor-related oscillations still remains unknown. In this paper, the roles of the indirect and hyperdirect pathways on synchronization and tremor-related oscillations are considered based on a modified Hodgkin-Huxley model. Firstly, the effects of indirect and hyperdirect pathways are analysed individually, which show that increased striatal activity to the globus pallidus external (GPe) or strong cortical gamma input to the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is sufficient to promote synchrony and tremor-related oscillations in the BG network. Then, the mutual effects of both pathways are analysed by adjusting the related currents simultaneously. Our results suggest that synchrony and tremor-related oscillations would be strengthened if the current of these two paths are in relative imbalance. And the network tends to be less synchronized and less tremulous when the frequency of cortical input is in the theta band. These findings may provide novel treatments in the cortex and striatum to alleviate symptoms of tremor in Parkinson’s disease.

scholarly journals Morphological Abnormalities in the Basal Ganglia of Dystonia Patients

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Xi Bai ◽  
Peter Vajkoczy ◽  
Katharina Faust
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Globus Pallidus ◽  
Trajectory Planning ◽  
Matched Control ◽  
Young Patients ◽  
Control Population ◽  
Pathogenic Role ◽  
Target Region ◽  
Morphological Abnormalities ◽  
Primary Dystonia

<b><i>Objective:</i></b> The pathophysiology of dystonia is poorly understood. As opposed to secondary forms of dystonia, primary dystonia has long been believed to lack any neuroanatomical substrate. During trajectory planning for DBS, however, conspicuous T2-hyperinstensive signal alterations (SA) were registered within the target region, even in young patients, where ischemia is rare. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Fifty MRIs of primary dystonia patients scheduled for DBS were analyzed. Total basal ganglia (BG) volumes, as well as proportionate SA volumes, were measured and compared to 50 age-matched control patients. <b><i>Results:</i></b> There was a 10-fold preponderance of percentaged SA within the globus pallidus (GP) in dystonia patients. The greatest disparity was in young patients &#x3c;25 years. Also, total BG volume differences were observed with larger GP and markedly smaller putamen and caudate in the dystonia group. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> BG morphology in primary dystonia differed from a control population. Volume reductions of the putamen and caudate may reflect functional degeneration, while volume increases of the GP may indicate overactivity. T2-hyperintensive SA in the GP of young primary dystonia patients, where microvascular lesions are highly unlikely, are striking. Their pathogenic role remains unclear.

Subthalamo-Pallidal Circuit

2017 ◽  
pp. 143-150
Author(s):  
Charles J. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Globus Pallidus ◽  
Subthalamic Nucleus ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Reticulata ◽  
Modern Methods

The subthalamo-pallidal system constitutes the second layer of circuitry in the basal ganglia, downstream of the striatum. It consists of four nuclei. Two of them, the external segment of the globus pallidus (GPe) and subthalamic nucleus (STN), make their connections primarily within the basal ganglia. The others, the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi) and the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr), are the output nuclei of the basal ganglia. Collectively, their axons distribute collaterals to all the targets of the basal ganglia. Rare interneurons have been reported in each of them from studies of Golgi-stained preparations, but they have not so far been confirmed using more modern methods. The circuit as described here is based primarily on studies of the axonal arborizations of neurons stained individually by intracellular or juxtacellular labeling.

scholarly journals Basal ganglia and cerebellar contributions to vocal emotion processing: a high resolution fMRI study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo Ceravolo ◽  
Sascha Frühholz ◽  
Jordan Pierce ◽  
Didier Grandjean ◽  
Julie Péron
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Globus Pallidus ◽  
Subthalamic Nucleus ◽  
Effective Connectivity ◽  
Emotion Processing ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Vocal Emotion

AbstractUntil recently, brain networks underlying emotional voice prosody decoding and processing were focused on modulations in primary and secondary auditory, ventral frontal and prefrontal cortices, and the amygdala. Growing interest for a specific role of the basal ganglia and cerebellum was recently brought into the spotlight. In the present study, we aimed at characterizing the role of such subcortical brain regions in vocal emotion processing, at the level of both brain activation and functional and effective connectivity, using high resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging. Variance explained by low-level acoustic parameters (fundamental frequency, voice energy) was also modelled. Wholebrain data revealed expected contributions of the temporal and frontal cortices, basal ganglia and cerebellum to vocal emotion processing, while functional connectivity analyses highlighted correlations between basal ganglia and cerebellum, especially for angry voices. Seed-to-seed and seed-to-voxel effective connectivity revealed direct connections within the basal ganglia ̶ especially between the putamen and external globus pallidus ̶ and between the subthalamic nucleus and the cerebellum. Our results speak in favour of crucial contributions of the basal ganglia, especially the putamen, external globus pallidus and subthalamic nucleus, and several cerebellar lobules and nuclei for an efficient decoding of and response to vocal emotions.

Basal Ganglia Neuronal Discharge in Primary and Secondary Dystonia in Patients Undergoing Pallidotomy

Neurosurgery ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 1358-1373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manjit K. Sanghera ◽  
Robert G. Grossman ◽  
Christopher G. Kalhorn ◽  
Winifred J. Hamilton ◽  
William G. Ondo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Globus Pallidus ◽  
Discharge Rate ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Functional Connections ◽  
Discharge Rates ◽  
Neurophysiological Data ◽  
Posteroventral Pallidotomy ◽  
Discharge Patterns ◽  
Idiopathic Dystonia

Abstract OBJECTIVE Basal ganglia neuronal activity in patients undergoing posteroventral pallidotomy (PVP) for the treatment of primary genetic, secondary, or idiopathic dystonia (DYS) was studied to gain a better understanding of the pathophysiology of DYS. METHODS Intraoperative neurophysiological data recorded from 15 DYS patients were compared with those from 78 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who underwent PVP. RESULTS Putamen neurons in both DYS and PD patients had low discharge rates. Globus pallidus externa (GPe) and globus pallidus interna (GPi) neurons in DYS patients had significantly lower discharge rates and more irregular discharge patterns than in PD patients. GPe and GPi neurons displayed similar discharge rates and patterns in DYS, whereas in PD, the discharge rate of GPe neurons was lower than that of the GPi neurons. The discharge rate and pattern of GPe and GPi neurons in patients whose DYS was ameliorated by PVP were similar to those in DYS patients who did not benefit from PVP. No significant differences in the rate or pattern of neuronal discharge in patients with DYS of different causes were discernible. PVP was most beneficial in patients with primary genetic DYS. Anesthesia with desflurane depressed the discharge rate of the GPe and GPi neurons, particularly in patients with PD. CONCLUSION Significant differences in the rates and patterns of discharge of GPe and GPi neurons exist in DYS and PD. The findings are discussed with reference to the current model of the functional connections of the basal ganglia.

Comparison of Short-Term Stimulation of the Globus Pallidus Interna and Subthalamic Nucleus for Treatment of Primary Dystonia

2019 ◽  
Vol 123 ◽  
pp. e211-e217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuye Liu ◽  
Guanyu Zhu ◽  
Yin Jiang ◽  
Xiu Wang ◽  
Yingchuan Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Globus Pallidus ◽  
Subthalamic Nucleus ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Primary Dystonia ◽  
Stimulation Of

Surgery of the Subthalamic Nucleus: Use of Movement-related Neuronal Activity for Surgical Navigation

Neurosurgery ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 1146-1149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip A. Starr ◽  
Philip V. Theodosopoulos ◽  
Robert Turner
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Subthalamic Nucleus ◽  
Basal Ganglion ◽  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Single Unit ◽  
Surgical Navigation ◽  
Cellular Activity ◽  
Associative Functions

Abstract THE BASAL GANGLIA have important roles in somatic motor, oculomotor, limbic, and associative functions. These functions are represented in anatomically distinct territories in each basal ganglion nucleus. During surgery of the subthalamic nucleus for Parkinson's disease, the primary goal is to influence the physiology of the motor territory without affecting nonmotor areas. This article describes the use of movement-related cellular activity during single-unit microelectrode mapping to identify and to navigate within the motor territory of the subthalamic nucleus.

Understanding Parkinsonian Handwriting Through a Computational Model of Basal Ganglia

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2491-2525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garipelli Gangadhar ◽  
Denny Joseph ◽  
V. Srinivasa Chakravarthy
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Computational Model ◽  
Globus Pallidus ◽  
Subthalamic Nucleus ◽  
Line Contour ◽  
Velocity Fluctuations ◽  
Signaling Model ◽  
Tip Velocity ◽  
Handwriting Generation

Handwriting in Parkinson's disease (PD) is typically characterized by micrographia, jagged line contour, and unusual fluctuations in pen tip velocity. Although PD handwriting features have been used for diagnostics, they are not based on a signaling model of basal ganglia (BG). In this letter, we present a computational model of handwriting generation that highlights the role of BG. When PD conditions like reduced dopamine and altered dynamics of the subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus externa subsystems are simulated, the handwriting produced by the model manifested characteristic PD handwriting distortions like micrographia and velocity fluctuations. Our approach to PD modeling is in tune with the perspective that PD is a dynamic disease.

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