Deep brain stimulation changes basal ganglia output nuclei firing pattern in the dystonic hamster
Neurobiology of Disease. 2010-05-01; 38(2): 288-298
DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2010.01.020
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Leblois A, Reese R, Labarre D, Hamann M, Richter A, Boraud T, Meissner WG.
Dystonia is a heterogeneous syndrome of movement disorders characterized by
involuntary muscle contractions leading to abnormal movements and postures. While
medical treatment is often ineffective, deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the
internal pallidum improves dystonia. Here, we studied the impact of DBS in the
entopeduncular nucleus (EP), the rodent equivalent of the human globus pallidus
internus, on basal ganglia output in the dt(sz)-hamster, a well-characterized
model of dystonia by extracellular recordings. Previous work has shown that
EP-DBS improves dystonic symptoms in dt(sz)-hamsters. We report that EP-DBS
changes firing pattern in the EP, most neurons switching to a less regular firing
pattern during DBS. In contrast, EP-DBS did not change the average firing rate of
EP neurons. EP neurons display multiphasic responses to each stimulation impulse,
likely underlying the disruption of their firing rhythm. Finally, neurons in the
substantia nigra pars reticulata display similar responses to EP-DBS, supporting
the idea that EP-DBS affects basal ganglia output activity through the activation
of common afferent fibers.
Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2010.01.020
PMID: 20138992