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Low frequency stimulation of the pedunculopontine nucleus modulates electrical activity of subthalamic neurons in the rat

  • Basic Neurosciences, Genetics and Immunology - Short Communication
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Abstract

Electrical stimulation of the rat pedunculopontine nucleus (PPTg) (<25 Hz) synchronized firing of subthalamic neurons (STN) with each stimulus, and a continuous irregular activity often preceded recovery of burst discharges in control as well as in 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned animals. Firing was blocked both by increasing frequency of stimulation (>50 Hz) and current intensity (>500 µA). The data suggest that clinically relevant frequencies for PPTg deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease modulate burst discharges in STN neurons.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from Medtronic Italia, University of L’Aquila (RIA) and overhead from European Community Biomed 2 program to ES. The Authors wish to thank Dr. Salvatore Galati for constructing some density histograms, and Prof. Alessandro Stefani for his comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy

    Annamaria Capozzo, Tiziana Florio, Giuseppina Confalone, Daniela Minchella & Eugenio Scarnati

  2. Unit of Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery, CTO Hospital, Via S. Nemesio, Rome, Italy

    Paolo Mazzone

Authors
  1. Annamaria Capozzo
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  2. Tiziana Florio
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  3. Giuseppina Confalone
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  4. Daniela Minchella
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  5. Paolo Mazzone
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  6. Eugenio Scarnati
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Correspondence to Eugenio Scarnati.

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Capozzo, A., Florio, T., Confalone, G. et al. Low frequency stimulation of the pedunculopontine nucleus modulates electrical activity of subthalamic neurons in the rat. J Neural Transm 116, 51–56 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-008-0155-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-008-0155-z

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