Venue : Centre Broca
Elba Molpeceres
Team Monoamines, Parkinson and pain (Benazzouz / Fossat)
IMN
Thesis directed by : Abdelhamid Benazzouz
Title
Characterization of the subthalamo-cortical pathway and its involvement in the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease
Abstract
This thesis investigated the role of the STN in pain symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and provided an anatomo-functional characterization of the direct STN-M1 pathway under normal and parkinsonian conditions using chemogenetic, optogenetic, behavioral and electrophysiological approaches in Vglut2-cre mice. Our results demonstrated that selective inhibition of STN glutamatergic neurons improves motor and nociceptive deficits induced by 6-OHDA dopaminergic lesion. Anatomical analyses revealed direct STN projections to motor and somatosensory cortices in mice, with preferential connectivity toward PV+ interneurons of the M1 cortex. Optogenetic inhibition of the STN-M1 pathway attenuated motor and pain-related abnormalities and restored altered nociceptive cortical responses in parkinsonian conditions. These findings identify the STN- M1 pathway as a critical contributor to Parkinson’s disease pathophysiology and highlight its potential therapeutic relevance.
Key words
Parkinson’s Disease, Subthalamic nucleus, Motor symptoms, Pain
Jury
M. Daniel VOISIN Professeur, Neurocentre Magendie, Bordeaux – Président
Mme Veronique COIZET Directrice de recherche, Institut des Neurosciences de Grenoble, La Tronche – Rapporteure
M. Yasin TEMEL Professeur, Maastricht University, Maastricht – Rapporteur
Mme Sandrine BERTRAND Directrice de recherche, INCIA, Bordeaux – Examinatrice