In vivo extracellular recording of striatal neurons in the awake rat following unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions

Adenosine A2A Receptor Blockade Provides More Effective Benefits at the Onset Rather than after Overt Neurodegeneration in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease

Adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) antagonists are the leading nondopaminergic therapy to manage Parkinson's disease (PD) since they afford both motor benefits and neuroprotection. PD begins with a synaptic dysfunction and damage in the striatum evolving to an overt neuronal damage of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. We tested if A2AR antagonists are equally effective in controlling these two degenerative processes. We used a slow intracerebroventricular infusion of the toxin MPP+ in male rats for 15 days, which caused an initial loss of synaptic markers in the striatum within 10 days, followed by a neuronal loss in the substantia nigra within 30 days. Interestingly, the initial loss of striatal nerve terminals involved a loss of both dopaminergic and glutamatergic synaptic markers, while GABAergic markers were preserved. The daily administration of the A2AR antagonist SCH58261 (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) in the first 10 days after MPP+ infusion markedly attenuated both the initial loss of striatal synaptic markers and the subsequent loss of nigra dopaminergic neurons. Strikingly, the administration of SCH58261 (0.1 mg/kg, i.p. for 10 days) starting 20 days after MPP+ infusion was less efficacious to attenuate the loss of nigra dopaminergic neurons. This prominent A2AR-mediated control of synaptotoxicity was directly confirmed by showing that the MPTP-induced dysfunction (MTT assay) and damage (lactate dehydrogenase release assay) of striatal synaptosomes were prevented by 50 nM SCH58261. This suggests that A2AR antagonists may be more effective to counteract the onset rather than the evolution of PD pathology.

Striatal mechanisms of turning behaviour following unilateral dopamine depletion in mice

Unilateral dopamine (DA) depletion produces ipsiversive turning behaviour, and the injection of DA receptor agonists can produce contraversive turning, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We conducted in vivo recording and pharmacological and optogenetic manipulations to study the role of DA and striatal output in turning behaviour. We used a video-based tracking programme while recording single unit activity in both putative medium spiny projection neurons (MSNs) and fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) in the dorsal striatum bilaterally. Our results suggest that unilateral DA depletion reduced striatal output from the depleted side, resulting in asymmetric striatal output. Depletion systematically altered activity in both MSNs and FSIs, especially in neurons that increased firing during turning movements. Like D1 agonist SKF 38393, optogenetic stimulation in the depleted striatum increased striatal output and reversed biassed turning. These results suggest that relative striatal outputs from the two cerebral hemispheres determine the direction of turning: Mice turn away from the side of higher striatal output and towards the side of the lower striatal output.

Dopamine depletion selectively disrupts interactions between striatal neuron subtypes and LFP oscillations

Dopamine degeneration in Parkinson’s disease (PD) dysregulates the striatal neural network and causes motor deficits. However, it is unclear how altered striatal circuits relate to dopamine-acetylcholine chemical imbalance and abnormal local field potential (LFP) oscillations observed in PD. We perform a multimodal analysis of the dorsal striatum using cell-type-specific calcium imaging and LFP recording. We reveal that dopamine depletion selectively enhances LFP beta oscillations during impaired locomotion, supporting beta oscillations as a biomarker for PD. We further demonstrate that dynamic cholinergic interneuron activity during locomotion remains unaltered, even though cholinergic tone is implicated in PD. Instead, dysfunctional striatal output arises from elevated coordination within striatal output neurons, which is accompanied by reduced locomotor encoding of parvalbumin interneurons and transient pathological LFP high-gamma oscillations. These results identify a pathological striatal circuit state following dopamine depletion where distinct striatal neuron subtypes are selectively coordinated with LFP oscillations during locomotion.

Zemel et al. demonstrate that dopamine loss disrupts striatal neural network and enhances local field potential beta oscillations during impaired locomotion. Specifically, striatal projecting neuron activation is abnormally coordinated and accompanied by pathological high-gamma oscillations. While parvalbumin interneurons reduce locomotor encoding, cholinergic interneurons strengthen their interactions with projecting neurons.

Aberrant Striatal Activity in Parkinsonism and Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia

Action selection relies on the coordinated activity of striatal direct and indirect pathway medium spiny neurons (dMSNs and iMSNs, respectively). Loss of dopamine in Parkinson's disease is thought to disrupt this balance. While dopamine replacement with levodopa may restore normal function, the development of involuntary movements (levodopa-induced dyskinesia [LID]) limits therapy. How chronic dopamine loss and replacement with levodopa modulate the firing of identified MSNs in behaving animals is unknown. Using optogenetically labeled striatal single-unit recordings, we assess circuit dysfunction in parkinsonism and LID. Counter to current models, we found that following dopamine depletion, iMSN firing was elevated only during periods of immobility, while dMSN firing was dramatically and persistently reduced. Most notably, we identified a subpopulation of dMSNs with abnormally high levodopa-evoked firing rates, which correlated specifically with dyskinesia. These findings provide key insights into the circuit mechanisms underlying parkinsonism and LID, with implications for developing targeted therapies.

Aberrant features of in vivo striatal dynamics in Parkinson's disease

The striatum plays an important role in learning, selecting, and executing actions. As a major input hub of the basal ganglia, it receives and processes a diverse array of signals related to sensory, motor, and cognitive information. Aberrant neural activity in this area is implicated in a wide variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. It is therefore important to understand the hallmarks of disrupted striatal signal processing. This review surveys literature examining how in vivo striatal microcircuit dynamics are impacted in animal models of one of the most widely studied movement disorders, Parkinson's disease. The review identifies four major features of aberrant striatal dynamics: altered relative levels of direct and indirect pathway activity, impaired information processing by projection neurons, altered information processing by interneurons, and increased synchrony.

Synchronized activation of striatal direct and indirect pathways underlies the behavior in unilateral dopamine-depleted mice

For more than three decades it has been known, that striatal neurons become hyperactive after the loss of dopamine input, but the involvement of dopamine (DA) D1‐ or D2‐receptor‐expressing neurons has only been demonstrated indirectly. By recording neuronal activity using fluorescent calcium indicators in D1 or D2 eGFP‐expressing mice, we showed that following dopamine depletion, both types of striatal output neurons are involved in the large increase in neuronal activity generating a characteristic cell assembly of particular neurons that dominate the pattern. When we expressed channelrhodopsin in all the output neurons, light activation in freely moving animals, caused turning like that following dopamine loss. However, if the light stimulation was patterned in pulses the animals circled in the other direction. To explore the neuronal participation during this stimulation we infected normal mice with channelrhodopsin and calcium indicator in striatal output neurons. In slices made from these animals, continuous light stimulation for 15 s induced many cells to be active together and a particular dominant group of neurons, whereas light in patterned pulses activated fewer cells in more variable groups. These results suggest that the simultaneous activity of a large dominant group of striatal output neurons is intimately associated with parkinsonian symptoms.

Admixing MPTP-resistant and MPTP-vulnerable mice enhances striatal field potentials and calbindin-D28K expression to avert motor behaviour deficits

Asian-Indians are less vulnerable to Parkinson's disease (PD) than the Caucasians. Their admixed populace has even lesser risk. Studying this phenomenon using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-susceptible C57BL/6J, MPTP-resistant CD-1 and their resistant crossbred mice revealed differences in the nigrostriatal cyto-molecular features. Here, we investigated the electrophysiological and behavioural correlates for differential MPTP-susceptibility and their outcome upon admixing. We recorded local field potentials (LFPs) from dorsal striatum and assessed motor co-ordination using rotarod and grip strength measures. Nigral calbindin-D28K expression, a regulator of striatal activity through nigrostriatal projections was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. The crossbreds had significantly higher baseline striatal LFPs. MPTP significantly increased the neuronal activity in delta (0.5-4 Hz) and low beta (12-16 Hz) ranges in C57BL/6J; significant increase across frequency bands till high beta (0.5-30 Hz) in CD-1, and caused no alterations in crossbreds. MPTP further depleted the already low nigral calbindin-D28K expression in C57BL/6J. While in crossbreds, it was further up-regulated. MPTP affected the rotarod and grip strength performance of the C57BL/6J, while the injected CD-1 and crossbreds performed well. The increased striatal β-oscillations are comparable to that in PD patients. Higher power in CD-1 may be compensatory in nature, which were also reported in pre-symptomatic monkeys. Concurrent up-regulation of nigral calbindin-D28K may assist maintenance of striatal activity by buffering calcium overload in nigra. Thus, preserved motor behaviour in PD reminiscent conditions in CD-1 and crossbreds complement compensated/unaffected striatal LFPs. Similar electrophysiological correlates and cytomorphological features are envisaged in human phenomenon of differential PD prevalence, which are modulated upon admixing.

Hyperactive Response of Direct Pathway Striatal Projection Neurons to L-dopa and D1 Agonism in Freely Moving Parkinsonian Mice

Dopamine (DA) profoundly stimulates motor function as demonstrated by the hypokinetic motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) and by the hyperkinetic motor side effects during dopaminergic treatment of PD. Dopamine (DA) receptor-bypassing, optogenetics- and chemogenetics-induced spike firing of striatal DA D1 receptor (D1R)-expressing, direct pathway medium spiny neurons (dSPNs or dMSNs) promotes movements. However, the endogenous D1R-mediated effects, let alone those of DA replacement, on dSPN spike activity in freely-moving animals is not established. Here we show that using transcription factor Pitx3 null mutant (Pitx3Null) mice as a model for severe and consistent DA denervation in the dorsal striatum in Parkinson's disease, antidromically identified striatonigral neurons (D1R-expressing dSPNs) had a lower baseline spike firing rate than that in DA-intact normal mice, and these neurons increased their spike firing more strongly in Pitx3Null mice than in WT mice in response to injection of L-dopa or the D1R agonist, SKF81297; the increase in spike firing temporally coincided with the motor-stimulating effects of L-dopa and SKF81297. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence from freely moving animals that in parkinsonian striatum, identified behavior-promoting dSPNs become hyperactive upon the administration of L-dopa or a D1 agonist, likely contributing to the profound dopaminergic motor stimulation in parkinsonian animals and PD patients.

Exercise-Induced Neuroprotection of the Nigrostriatal Dopamine System in Parkinson's Disease

Epidemiological studies indicate that physical activity and exercise may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD), and clinical observations suggest that physical exercise can reduce the motor symptoms in PD patients. In experimental animals, a profound observation is that exercise of appropriate timing, duration, and intensity can reduce toxin-induced lesion of the nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) system in animal PD models, although negative results have also been reported, potentially due to inappropriate timing and intensity of the exercise regimen. Exercise may also minimize DA denervation-induced medium spiny neuron (MSN) dendritic atrophy and other abnormalities such as enlarged corticostriatal synapse and abnormal MSN excitability and spiking activity. Taken together, epidemiological studies, clinical observations, and animal research indicate that appropriately dosed physical activity and exercise may not only reduce the risk of developing PD in vulnerable populations but also benefit PD patients by potentially protecting the residual DA neurons or directly restoring the dysfunctional cortico-basal ganglia motor control circuit, and these benefits may be mediated by exercise-triggered production of endogenous neuroprotective molecules such as neurotrophic factors. Thus, exercise is a universally available, side effect-free medicine that should be prescribed to vulnerable populations as a preventive measure and to PD patients as a component of treatment. Future research needs to establish standardized exercise protocols that can reliably induce DA neuron protection, enabling the delineation of the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that in turn can maximize exercise-induced neuroprotection and neurorestoration in animal PD models and eventually in PD patients.

A Population of Indirect Pathway Striatal Projection Neurons Is Selectively Entrained to Parkinsonian Beta Oscillations

Classical schemes of basal ganglia organization posit that parkinsonian movement difficulties presenting after striatal dopamine depletion stem from the disproportionate firing rates of spiny projection neurons (SPNs) therein. There remains, however, a pressing need to elucidate striatal SPN firing in the context of the synchronized network oscillations that are abnormally exaggerated in cortical-basal ganglia circuits in parkinsonism. To address this, we recorded unit activities in the dorsal striatum of dopamine-intact and dopamine-depleted rats during two brain states, respectively defined by cortical slow-wave activity (SWA) and activation. Dopamine depletion escalated striatal net output but had contrasting effects on "direct pathway" SPNs (dSPNs) and "indirect pathway" SPNs (iSPNs); their firing rates became imbalanced, and they disparately engaged in network oscillations. Disturbed striatal activity dynamics relating to the slow (∼1 Hz) oscillations prevalent during SWA partly generalized to the exaggerated beta-frequency (15-30 Hz) oscillations arising during cortical activation. In both cases, SPNs exhibited higher incidences of phase-locked firing to ongoing cortical oscillations, and SPN ensembles showed higher levels of rhythmic correlated firing, after dopamine depletion. Importantly, in dopamine-depleted striatum, a widespread population of iSPNs, which often displayed excessive firing rates and aberrant phase-locked firing to cortical beta oscillations, preferentially and excessively synchronized their firing at beta frequencies. Conversely, dSPNs were neither hyperactive nor synchronized to a large extent during cortical activation. These data collectively demonstrate a cell type-selective entrainment of SPN firing to parkinsonian beta oscillations. We conclude that a population of overactive, excessively synchronized iSPNs could orchestrate these pathological rhythms in basal ganglia circuits.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Chronic depletion of dopamine from the striatum, a part of the basal ganglia, causes some symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Here, we elucidate how dopamine depletion alters striatal neuron firing in vivo, with an emphasis on defining whether and how spiny projection neurons (SPNs) engage in the synchronized beta-frequency (15-30 Hz) oscillations that become pathologically exaggerated throughout basal ganglia circuits in parkinsonism. We discovered that a select population of so-called "indirect pathway" SPNs not only fire at abnormally high rates, but are also particularly prone to being recruited to exaggerated beta oscillations. Our results provide an important link between two complementary theories that explain the presentation of disease symptoms on the basis of changes in firing rate or firing synchronization/rhythmicity.

Enhanced GABA Transmission Drives Bradykinesia Following Loss of Dopamine D2 Receptor Signaling

Bradykinesia is a prominent phenotype of Parkinson's disease, depression, and other neurological conditions. Disruption of dopamine (DA) transmission plays an important role, but progress in understanding the exact mechanisms driving slowness of movement has been impeded due to the heterogeneity of DA receptor distribution on multiple cell types within the striatum. Here we show that selective deletion of DA D2 receptors (D2Rs) from indirect-pathway medium spiny neurons (iMSNs) is sufficient to impair locomotor activity, phenocopying DA depletion models of Parkinson's disease, despite this mouse model having intact DA transmission. There was a robust enhancement of GABAergic transmission and a reduction of in vivo firing in striatal and pallidal neurons. Mimicking D2R signaling in iMSNs with Gi-DREADDs restored the level of tonic GABAergic transmission and rescued the motor deficit. These findings indicate that DA, through D2R activation in iMSNs, regulates motor output by constraining the strength of GABAergic transmission.

Are the Symptoms of Parkinsonism Cortical in Origin?

We present three reasons to suspect that the major deleterious consequence of dopamine loss from the striatum is a cortical malfunction. We suggest that it is cortex, rather than striatum, that should be considered as the source of the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) since:1.

Cortical synapses onto striatal dendritic spines are lost in PD.

2.

All known treatments of the symptoms of PD disrupt beta oscillations. Oscillations that are also disrupted following antidromic activation of cortical neurons.

3.

The final output of basal ganglia directly modulates thalamic connections to layer I of frontal cortical areas, regions intimately associated with motor behaviour.

These three reasons combined with evidence that the current summary diagram of the basal ganglia involvement in PD is imprecise at best, suggest that a re-orientation of the treatment strategies towards cortical, rather than striatal malfunction, is overdue.

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Suggested experimental contributions support the proposal of a cortical participation in PD.

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DBS produces antidromic activation of motor cortex and desynchronizes beta oscillations.

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Loss of dopamine decreases dendritic spines in the striatal D2 projection neurons.

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Motor thalamus distributes terminals into frontal cortex layer I.

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Thalamocortical-layer I activity increases with locomotion.

Clinical applications of penetrating neural interfaces and Utah Electrode Array technologies

This paper briefly describes some of the recent progress in the development of penetrating microelectrode arrays and highlights the use of two of these devices, Utah electrode arrays and Utah slanted electrode arrays, in two therapeutic interventions: recording volitional skeletal motor commands from the central nervous system, and recording motor commands and evoking somatosensory percepts in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The paper also briefly explores other potential sites for microelectrode array interventions that could be profitably pursued and that could have important consequences in enhancing the quality of life of patients that has been compromised by disorders of the central and PNSs.

Cross-hemispheric dopamine projections have functional significance

Dopamine signaling occurs on a subsecond timescale, and its dysregulation is implicated in pathologies ranging from drug addiction to Parkinson's disease. Anatomic evidence suggests that some dopamine neurons have cross-hemispheric projections, but the significance of these projections is unknown. Here we report unprecedented interhemispheric communication in the midbrain dopamine system of awake and anesthetized rats. In the anesthetized rats, optogenetic and electrical stimulation of dopamine cells elicited physiologically relevant dopamine release in the contralateral striatum. Contralateral release differed between the dorsal and ventral striatum owing to differential regulation by D2-like receptors. In the freely moving animals, simultaneous bilateral measurements revealed that dopamine release synchronizes between hemispheres and intact, contralateral projections can release dopamine in the midbrain of 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats. These experiments are the first, to our knowledge, to show cross-hemispheric synchronicity in dopamine signaling and support a functional role for contralateral projections. In addition, our data reveal that psychostimulants, such as amphetamine, promote the coupling of dopamine transients between hemispheres.

Robust Brain Hyperglycemia during General Anesthesia: Relationships with Metabolic Brain Inhibition and Vasodilation

Glucose is the main energetic substrate for the metabolic activity of brain cells and its proper delivery into the extracellular space is essential for maintaining normal neural functions. Under physiological conditions, glucose continuously enters the extracellular space from arterial blood via gradient-dependent facilitated diffusion governed by the GLUT-1 transporters. Due to this gradient-dependent mechanism, glucose levels rise in the brain after consumption of glucose-containing foods and drinks. Glucose entry is also accelerated due to local neuronal activation and neuro-vascular coupling, resulting in transient hyperglycemia to prevent any metabolic deficit. Here, we explored another mechanism that is activated during general anesthesia and results in significant brain hyperglycemia. By using enzyme-based glucose biosensors we demonstrate that glucose levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) strongly increase after iv injection of Equthesin, a mixture of chloral hydrate and sodium pentobarbital, which is often used for general anesthesia in rats. By combining electrochemical recordings with brain, muscle, and skin temperature monitoring, we show that the gradual increase in brain glucose occurring during the development of general anesthesia tightly correlate with decreases in brain-muscle temperature differentials, suggesting that this rise in glucose is related to metabolic inhibition. While the decreased consumption of glucose by brain cells could contribute to the development of hyperglycemia, an exceptionally strong positive correlation (r = 0.99) between glucose rise and increases in skin-muscle temperature differentials was also found, suggesting the strong vasodilation of cerebral vessels as the primary mechanism for accelerated entry of glucose into brain tissue. Our present data could explain drastic differences in basal glucose levels found in awake and anesthetized animal preparations. They also suggest that glucose entry into brain tissue could be strongly modulated by pharmacological drugs via drug-induced changes in metabolic activity and the tone of cerebral vessels.

Loss of the preferential control over the striato-nigral direct pathway by striatal NMDA receptors in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

By using multi-probe microdialysis we previously demonstrated that endogenous glutamate differentially regulates the activity of the striatal output pathways in vivo, through N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors containing the GluN2A or GluN2B subunits. Using the same approach, we presently investigate whether reverse dialysis of NMDA in the striatum differentially affects GABA release in the striatum and in striatal target areas, i.e. globus pallidus (GP) and substantia nigra reticulata (SNr). Moreover, we ask whether this control is altered under parkinsonian conditions. Intrastriatal NMDA perfusion (10 min) evoked GABA release more potently in SNr (1-100 μM) than in other regions (10-100 μM), suggesting preferential control over striato-nigral projection neurons. Intrastriatal NMDA more potently stimulated glutamate levels in the striatum (1-100 μM) and SNr (1-10 μM) than in GP (10 μM). Striatal dopamine denervation with 6-hydroxydopamine caused a leftward shift in the NMDA concentration-response curve. Intrastriatal NMDA elevated GABA levels at 0.1 μM (all regions) and 1 μM (striatum and GP only), but not at higher concentrations, indicating that, compared to naïve animals, the GABA response in SNr was attenuated. Attenuation of the glutamate response was also observed in SNr (NMDA effective only at 0.1 μM). Conversely, the glutamate response in GP was widened (NMDA effective in the 0.1-1 μM range). We conclude that NMDA preferentially stimulates the activity of the striato-nigral direct pathway under physiological conditions. In Parkinson's disease, dopamine loss compromises the NMDA ability to stimulate striato-nigral neurons, thus shifting the NMDA control towards the striato-pallidal ones.

Quantitative activation-induced manganese-enhanced MRI reveals severity of Parkinson's disease in mice

We demonstrate that activation-induced manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with quantitative determination of the longitudinal relaxation time (qAIM-MRI) reveals the severity of Parkinson's disease (PD) in mice. We first show that manganese ion-accumulation depends on neuronal activity. A highly active region was then observed by qAIM-MRI in the caudate-putamen in PD-model mice that was significantly correlated to the severity of PD, suggesting its involvement in the expression of PD symptoms.

Posttetanic enhancement of striato-pallidal synaptic transmission

The striato (Str)-globus pallidus external segment (GPe) projection plays major roles in the control of neuronal activity in the basal ganglia under both normal and pathological conditions. The present study used rat brain slice preparations to characterize the enhancement of Str-GPe synapses observed after repetitive conditioning stimuli (CS) of Str with the whole cell patch-clamp recording technique. The results show that 1) the Str-GPe synapses have a posttetanic enhancement (PTE) mechanism, which is considered to be a combination of an augmentation and a posttetanic potentiation; 2) the degree of PTE observed in GPe neurons had a wide range and was positively correlated with a wide range of paired-pulse ratios assessed before application of CS; 3) a wide range of CS, from frequencies as low as 2 Hz with as few as 5 pulses to as high as 100 Hz with 100 pulses, could induce PTE; 4) the decay time constant of PTE was dependent on the strength of CS and was prolonged greatly, up to 120 s, when strong CS were applied; and 5) the level of postsynaptic Cl(-) became a limiting factor for the degree of PTE when strong CS were applied. These results imply that Str-GPe synapses transmit inhibitions in a nonlinear activity-weighted manner, which may be suited for scaling timing and force of repeated or sequential body movements. Other possible factors controlling the induction of PTE and functional implications are also discussed.

Alterations in neuronal activity in basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits in the parkinsonian state

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.

Review: electrophysiology of basal ganglia and cortex in models of Parkinson disease

Incomplete understanding of the systems-level pathophysiology of Parkinson Disease (PD) remains a significant barrier to improving its treatment. Substantial progress has been made, however, due to the availability of neurotoxins that selectively target monoaminergic (in particular, dopaminergic) neurons. This review discusses the in vivo electrophysiology of basal ganglia (BG), thalamic, and cortical regions after dopamine-depleting lesions. These include firing rate changes, neuronal burst-firing, neuronal oscillations, and neuronal synchrony that result from a combination of local microanatomic changes and network-level interactions. While much is known of the clinical and electrophysiological phenomenology of dopamine loss, a critical gap in our conception of PD pathophysiology is the link between them. We discuss potential mechanisms by which these systems-level electrophysiological changes may emerge, as well as how they may relate to clinical parkinsonism. Proposals for an updated understanding of BG function are reviewed, with an emphasis on how emerging frameworks will guide future research into the pathophysiology and treatment of PD.

Effects of SKF83959 on the excitability of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons: a modeling study

AIM

3-Methyl-6-chloro-7,8-hydroxy-1-(3-methylphenyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine (SKF83959) have been shown to affect several types of voltage-dependent channels in hippocampal pyramidal neurons. The aim of this study was to determine how modulation of a individual type of the channels by SKF83959 contributes to the overall excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons during either direct current injections or synaptic activation.

METHODS

Rat hippocampal slices were prepared. The kinetics of voltage-dependent Na(+) channels and neuronal excitability and depolarization block in CA1 pyramidal neurons were examined using whole-cell recording. A realistic mathematical model of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neuron was used to simulate the effects of SKF83959 on neuronal excitability.

RESULTS

SKF83959 (50 μmol/L) shifted the inactivation curve of Na(+) current by 10.3 mV but had no effect on the activation curve in CA1 pyramidal neurons. The effects of SKF83959 on passive membrane properties, including a decreased input resistance and depolarized resting potential, predicted by our simulations were in agreement with the experimental data. The simulations showed that decreased excitability of the soma by SKF83959 (examined with current injection at the soma) was only observed when the membrane potential was compensated to the control levels, whereas the decreased dendritic excitability (examined with current injection at the dendrite) was found even without membrane potential compensation, which led to a decreased number of action potentials initiated at the soma. Moreover, SKF83959 significantly facilitated depolarization block in CA1 pyramidal neurons. SKF83959 decreased EPSP temporal summation and, of physiologically greater relevance, the synaptic-driven firing frequency.

CONCLUSION

SKF83959 decreased the excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons even though the drug caused the membrane potential depolarization. The results may reveal a partial mechanism for the drug's anti-Parkinsonian effects and may also suggest that SKF83959 has a potential antiepileptic effect.

Abnormal Bursting as a Pathophysiological Mechanism in Parkinson's Disease

Despite remarkable advances in Parkinson's disease (PD) research, the pathophysiological mechanisms causing motor dysfunction remain unclear, possibly delaying the advent of new and improved therapies. Several such mechanisms have been proposed including changes in neuronal firing rates, the emergence of pathological oscillatory activity, increased neural synchronization, and abnormal bursting. This review focuses specifically on the role of abnormal bursting of basal ganglia neurons in PD, where a burst is a physiologically-relevant, transient increase in neuronal firing over some reference period or activity. After reviewing current methods for how bursts are detected and what the functional role of bursts may be under normal conditions, existing studies are reviewed that suggest that bursting is abnormally increased in PD and that this increases with worsening disease. Finally, the influence of therapeutic approaches for PD such as dopamine-replacement therapy with levodopa or dopamine agonists, lesions, or deep brain stimulation on bursting is discussed. Although there is insufficient evidence to conclude that increased bursting causes motor dysfunction in PD, current evidence suggests that targeted investigations into the role of bursting in PD may be warranted.

Haloperidol-induced changes in neuronal activity in the striatum of the freely moving rat

The striatum is the main input structure of the basal ganglia, integrating input from the cerebral cortex and the thalamus, which is modulated by midbrain dopaminergic input. Dopamine modulators, including agonists and antagonists, are widely used to relieve motor and psychiatric symptoms in a variety of pathological conditions. Haloperidol, a dopamine D2 antagonist, is commonly used in multiple psychiatric conditions and motor abnormalities. This article reports the effects of haloperidol on the activity of three major striatal subpopulations: medium spiny neurons (MSNs), fast spiking interneurons (FSIs), and tonically active neurons (TANs). We implanted multi-wire electrode arrays in the rat dorsal striatum and recorded the activity of multiple single units in freely moving animals before and after systemic haloperidol injection. Haloperidol decreased the firing rate of FSIs and MSNs while increasing their tendency to fire in an oscillatory manner in the high voltage spindle (HVS) frequency range of 7-9 Hz. Haloperidol led to an increased firing rate of TANs but did not affect their non-oscillatory firing pattern and their typical correlated firing activity. Our results suggest that dopamine plays a key role in tuning both single unit activity and the interactions within and between different subpopulations in the striatum in a differential manner. These findings highlight the heterogeneous striatal effects of tonic dopamine regulation via D2 receptors which potentially enable the treatment of diverse pathological states associated with basal ganglia dysfunction.

Direct evaluation of L-DOPA actions on neuronal activity of Parkinsonian tissue in vitro

Physiological and biochemical experiments in vivo and in vitro have explored striatal receptor signaling and neuronal excitability to posit pathophysiological models of Parkinson's disease. However, when therapeutic approaches, such as dopamine agonists, need to be evaluated, behavioral tests using animal models of Parkinson's disease are employed. To our knowledge, recordings of population neuronal activity in vitro to assess anti-Parkinsonian drugs and the correlation of circuit dynamics with disease state have only recently been attempted. We have shown that Parkinsonian pathological activity of neuronal striatal circuits can be characterized in in vitro cerebral tissue. Here, we show that calcium imaging techniques, capable of recording dozens of neurons simultaneously with single-cell resolution, can be extended to assess the action of therapeutic drugs. We used L-DOPA as a prototypical anti-Parkinsonian drug to show the efficiency of this proposed bioassay. In a rodent model of early Parkinson's disease, Parkinsonian neuronal activity can be returned to control levels by the bath addition of L-DOPA in a reversible way. This result raises the possibility to use calcium imaging techniques to measure, quantitatively, the actions of anti-Parkinsonian drugs over time and to obtain correlations with disease evolution and behavior.

Selective effects of dopamine depletion and L-DOPA therapy on learning-related firing dynamics of striatal neurons

Despite evidence that dopamine neurotransmission in the striatum is critical for learning as well as for movement control, little is yet known about how the learning-related dynamics of striatal activity are affected by dopamine depletion, a condition faced in Parkinson's disease. We made localized intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine lesions in rats and recorded within the dopamine-depleted sensorimotor striatal zone and its contralateral correspondent as the animals learned a conditional maze task. Rather than producing global, nonspecific elevations in firing rate across the task, the dopamine depletion altered striatal projection neuron activity and fast-spiking interneuron activity selectively, with sharply task-specific and cell type-specific effects, and often, with learning-stage selective effects as well. Striatal projection neurons with strong responses during the maze runs had especially elevated responsiveness during the maze runs. Projection neurons that, instead, fired most strongly before maze running showed elevated pre-start firing rates, but not during maze running, as learning progressed. The intrastriatal dopamine depletion severely affected the learning-related patterning of fast-spiking interneuron ensembles, especially during maze running and after extended training. Remarkably, L-DOPA treatment almost entirely reversed the depletion-induced elevations in pre-run firing of the projection neurons, and elevated their responses around start and end of maze runs. By contrast, L-DOPA failed to normalize fast-spiking interneuron activity. Thus the effects of striatal dopamine depletion and restoration on striatal activity are highly dependent not only on cell type, as previously shown, but also on the behavioral activity called for and the state of behavioral learning achieved.

Short-term plasticity shapes activity pattern-dependent striato-pallidal synaptic transmission

The cortico-striato (Str)-globus pallidus external segment (GPe) projection plays major roles in the control of neuronal activity in the basal ganglia under both normal and pathological conditions. The present study used rat brain-slice preparations to address our hypothesis that the gain of this disynaptic projection is dynamically controlled by activations of short-term plasticity mechanisms of Str-GPe synapses. The Str-GPe projection neurons fire with very different frequency and firing patterns in vivo depending on the condition of the animal. The results show that the Str-GPe synapses have very strong short-term enhancement mechanisms and that repetitive burst activation of the Str-GPe synapses, which mimic oscillatory burst firing of Str neurons, can sustain enhanced states of synaptic transmission for tens of seconds. The results reveal that the short-term enhancement of Str-GPe synapses contributes to the generation of pauses in the firing of GPe neurons and that signal transfer function in the Str-GPe projection is highly dependent on the firing pattern of Str neurons.

Effects of dopamine depletion on LFP oscillations in striatum are task- and learning-dependent and selectively reversed by L-DOPA

A major physiologic sign in Parkinson disease is the occurrence of abnormal oscillations in cortico-basal ganglia circuits, which can be normalized by L-DOPA therapy. Under normal circumstances, oscillatory activity in these circuits is modulated as behaviors are learned and performed, but how dopamine depletion affects such modulation is not yet known. We here induced unilateral dopamine depletion in the sensorimotor striatum of rats and then recorded local field potential (LFP) activity in the dopamine-depleted region and its contralateral correspondent as we trained the rats on a conditional T-maze task. Unexpectedly, the dopamine depletion had little effect on oscillations recorded in the pretask baseline period. Instead, the depletion amplified oscillations across delta (~3 Hz), theta (~8 Hz), beta (~13 Hz), and low-gamma (~48 Hz) ranges selectively during task performance times when each frequency band was most strongly modulated, and only after extensive training had occurred. High-gamma activity (65-100 Hz), in contrast, was weakened independent of task time or learning stage. The depletion also increased spike-field coupling of fast-spiking interneurons to low-gamma oscillations. L-DOPA therapy normalized all of these effects except those at low gamma. Our findings suggest that the task-related and learning-related dynamics of LFP oscillations are the primary targets of dopamine depletion, resulting in overexpression of behaviorally relevant oscillations. L-DOPA normalizes these dynamics except at low-gamma, linked by spike-field coupling to fast-spiking interneurons, now known to undergo structural changes after dopamine depletion and to lack normalization of spike activity following l-DOPA therapy.

Hippocampal desynchronization of functional connectivity prior to the onset of status epilepticus in pilocarpine-treated rats

Status epilepticus (SE), a pro-epileptogenic brain insult in rodent models of temporal lobe epilepsy, is successfully induced by pilocarpine in some, but not all, rats. This study aimed to identify characteristic alterations within the hippocampal neural network prior to the onset of SE. Sixteen microwire electrodes were implanted into the left hippocampus of male Sprague-Dawley rats. After a 7-day recovery period, animal behavior, hippocampal neuronal ensemble activities, and local field potentials (LFP) were recorded before and after an intra-peritoneal injection of pilocarpine (350 mg/kg). The single-neuron firing, population neuronal correlation, and coincident firing between neurons were compared between SE (n = 9) and nonSE rats (n = 12). A significant decrease in the strength of functional connectivity prior to the onset of SE, as measured by changes in coincident spike timing between pairs of hippocampal neurons, was exclusively found in SE rats. However, single-neuron firing and LFP profiles did not show a significant difference between SE and nonSE rats. These results suggest that desynchronization in the functional circuitry of the hippocampus, likely associated with a change in synaptic strength, may serve as an electrophysiological marker prior to SE in pilocarpine-treated rats.

Robustness, variability, phase dependence, and longevity of individual synaptic input effects on spike timing during fluctuating synaptic backgrounds: a modeling study of globus pallidus neuron phase response properties

A neuron's phase response curve (PRC) shows how inputs arriving at different times during the spike cycle differentially affect the timing of subsequent spikes. Using a full morphological model of a globus pallidus (GP) neuron, we previously demonstrated that dendritic conductances shape the PRC in a spike frequency-dependent manner, suggesting different functional roles of perisomatic and distal dendritic synapses in the control of patterned network activity. In the present study we extend this analysis to examine the impact of physiologically realistic high conductance states on somatic and dendritic PRCs and the time course of spike train perturbations. First, we found that average somatic and dendritic PRCs preserved their shapes and spike frequency dependence when the model was driven by spatially-distributed, stochastic conductance inputs rather than tonic somatic current. However, responses to inputs during specific synaptic backgrounds often deviated substantially from the average PRC. Therefore, we analyzed the interactions of PRC stimuli with transient fluctuations in the synaptic background on a trial-by-trial basis. We found that the variability in responses to PRC stimuli and the incidence of stimulus-evoked added or skipped spikes were stimulus-phase-dependent and reflected the profile of the average PRC, suggesting commonality in the underlying mechanisms. Clear differences in the relation between the phase of input and variability of spike response between dendritic and somatic inputs indicate that these regions generally represent distinct dynamical subsystems of synaptic integration with respect to influencing the stability of spike time attractors generated by the overall synaptic conductance.

Synergy between L-DOPA and a novel positive allosteric modulator of metabotropic glutamate receptor 4: implications for Parkinson's disease treatment and dyskinesia

Group III metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are localized in presynaptic terminals within basal ganglia (BG) circuitry that become hyperactive due to dopamine depletion in Parkinson's disease (PD). For this reason, group III mGlu receptors, in particular mGlu4, have been considered as key strategic targets for non-dopaminergic pharmacological treatments aimed at modulating these synapses, without producing the well known side-effects of l-DOPA, in particular the highly disabling l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). Herein we add physiological and functional support to this hypothesis using Lu AF21934, a novel selective and brain-penetrant mGlu4 receptor positive allosteric modulator (PAM) tool compound. By in vitro electrophysiological recordings we demonstrate that Lu AF21934 inhibits corticostriatal synaptic transmission and enhances the effect of the orthosteric mGlu4 receptor-preferred agonist LSP1-2111. In naïve rats, Lu AF21934 dose-dependently (10 and 30 mg/kg) alleviated haloperidol-induced catalepsy. In hemiparkinsonian rats (unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion of the substantia nigra pars compacta), Lu AF21934 alone did not affect akinesia at the doses tested (10 and 30 mg/kg). However, when Lu AF21934 was combined with sub-threshold doses of l-DOPA (1 and 5 mg/kg), it acted synergistically in alleviating akinesia in a dose-dependent manner and, notably, also reduced the incidence of LID but not its severity. Interestingly, these effects occurred at Lu AF21934 brain free concentrations that showed functional activity in in vitro screens (calcium flux and electrophysiology assays). These results support the potential for antiparkinsonian clinical use of a combined treatment consisting in l-DOPA and a mGlu4 receptor PAM to reduce efficacious l-DOPA doses (generally known as l-DOPA sparing), while maintaining the same benefit on PD motor troubles, and at the same time minimizing the development of LID. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors'.

Evolution of the dynamic properties of the cortex-basal ganglia network after dopaminergic depletion in rats

It is well established that parkinsonian syndrome is associated with alterations of neuronal activity temporal pattern basal ganglia (BG). An increase in synchronized oscillations has been observed in different BG nuclei in Parkinson's disease patients as well as animal models such as 6-hydroxydopamine treated rats. We recently demonstrated that this increase in oscillatory synchronization is present during high-voltage spindles (HVS) probably underpinned by the disorganization of cortex-BG interactions. Here we investigated the time course of both oscillatory and motor alterations. For that purpose we performed daily simultaneous recordings of neuronal activity in motor cortex, striatum and substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr), before and after 6-hydroxydopamine lesion in awake rats. After a brief non-dopamine-specific desynchronization, oscillatory activity first increased during HVS followed by progressive motor impairment and the shortening of SNr activation delay. While the oscillatory firing increase reflects dopaminergic depletion, response alteration in SNr neurons is closely related to motor symptom.

Role of Striatum in the Pause and Burst Generation in the Globus Pallidus of 6-OHDA-Treated Rats

Electrophysiological studies in patients and animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) often reported increased burst activity of neurons in the basal ganglia. Neurons in the globus pallidus external (GPe) segment in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-treated hemi-parkinsonian rats fire with strong bursts interrupted by pauses. The goal of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that dopamine (DA)-depletion increases burst firings of striatal (Str) neurons projecting to the GPe and that the increased Str–GPe burst inputs play a significant role in the generation of pauses and bursts in GPe and its projection sites. To evaluate this hypothesis, the unitary activity of Str and GPe was recorded from control and 6-OHDA-treated rats anesthetized with 0.5–1% isoflurane. The occurrence of pauses and bursts in the firings of GPe neurons was significantly higher in 6-OHDA than in normal rats. Muscimol injection into the Str of 6-OHDA rats increased average firing rate and greatly reduced the pauses and bursts in GPe. Recordings from Str revealed that most of the presumed projection neurons in control rats have very low spontaneous activity, and even the occasional neurons that did exhibit spontaneous burst firings did so with an average rate of less than 2 Hz. In DA-depleted Str, neurons having stronger bursts and a higher average firing rate were encountered more frequently. Juxtacellular labeling revealed that most of these neurons were medium spiny neurons projecting only to GPe. Injection of a behaviorally effective dose of methyl-l-DOPA into the Str of 6-OHDA rats significantly increased the average firing rate and decreased the number of pauses of GPe neurons. These data validate the hypothesis that DA-depletion increases burst firings of Str neurons projecting to the GPe and that the increased Str–GPe burst inputs play a significant role in the generation of pauses and bursts in GPe. These results suggest that treatment to reduce burst Str–GPe inhibitory inputs may help to restore some PD disabilities.

Mechanisms of action of antipsychotic drugs of different classes, refractoriness to therapeutic effects of classical neuroleptics, and individual variation in sensitivity to their actions: Part I

Many issues remain unresolved about antipsychotic drugs. Their therapeutic potency scales with affinity for dopamine D2 receptors, but there are indications that they act indirectly, with dopamine D1 receptors (and others) as possible ultimate targets. Classical neuroleptic drugs disinhibit striatal cholinergic interneurones and increase acetyl choline release. Their effects may then depend on stimulation of muscarinic receptors on principle striatal neurones (M4 receptors, with reduction of cAMP formation, for therapeutic effects; M1 receptors for motor side effects). Many psychotic patients do not benefit from neuroleptic drugs, or develop resistance to them during prolonged treatment, but respond well to clozapine. For patients who do respond, there is a wide (>ten-fold) range in optimal doses. Refractoriness or low sensitivity to antipsychotic effects (and other pathologies) could then arise from low density of cholinergic interneurones. Clozapine probably owes its special actions to direct stimulation of M4 receptors, a mechanism available when indirect action is lost.

Repeated whisker stimulation evokes invariant neuronal responses in the dorsolateral striatum of anesthetized rats: a potential correlate of sensorimotor habits

The dorsolateral striatum (DLS) receives extensive projections from primary somatosensory cortex (SI), but very few studies have used somesthetic stimulation to characterize the sensory coding properties of DLS neurons. In this study, we used computer-controlled whisker deflections to characterize the extracellular responses of DLS neurons in rats lightly anesthetized with isoflurane. When multiple whiskers were synchronously deflected by rapid back-and-forth movements, whisker-sensitive neurons in the DLS responded to both directions of movement. The latency and magnitude of these neuronal responses displayed very little variation with changes in the rate (2, 5, or 8 Hz) of whisker stimulation. Simultaneous recordings in SI barrel cortex and the DLS revealed important distinctions in the neuronal responses of these serially connected brain regions. In contrast to DLS neurons, SI neurons were activated by the initial deflection of the whiskers but did not respond when the whiskers moved back to their original position. As the rate of whisker stimulation increased, SI responsiveness declined, and the latencies of the responses increased. In fact, when whiskers were deflected at 5 or 8 Hz, many neurons in the DLS responded before the SI neurons. These results and earlier anatomic findings suggest that a component of the sensory-induced response in the DLS is mediated by inputs from the thalamus. Furthermore, the lack of sensory adaptation in the DLS may represent a critical part of the neural mechanism by which the DLS encodes stimulus-response associations that trigger motor habits and other stimulus-evoked behaviors that are not contingent on rewarded outcomes.

Electrophysiological effects of SKF83959 on hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons: potential mechanisms for the drug's neuroprotective effects

Although the potent anti-parkinsonian action of the atypical D₁-like receptor agonist SKF83959 has been attributed to the selective activation of phosphoinositol(PI)-linked D₁ receptor, whereas the mechanism underlying its potent neuroprotective effect is not fully understood. In the present study, the actions of SKF83959 on neuronal membrane potential and neuronal excitability were investigated in CA1 pyramidal neurons of rat hippocampal slices. SKF83959 (10–100 µM) caused a concentration-dependent depolarization, associated with a reduction of input resistance in CA1 pyramidal neurons. The depolarization was blocked neither by antagonists for D₁, D₂, 5-HT_2A/2C receptors and α₁-adrenoceptor, nor by intracellular dialysis of GDP-β-S. However, the specific HCN channel blocker ZD7288 (10 µM) antagonized both the depolarization and reduction of input resistance caused by SKF83959. In voltage-clamp experiments, SKF83959 (10–100 µM) caused a concentration-dependent increase of Ih current in CA1 pyramidal neurons, which was independent of D₁ receptor activation. Moreover, SKF83959 (50 µM) caused a 6 mV positive shift in the activation curve of Ih and significantly accelerated the activation of Ih current. In addition, SKF83959 also reduced the neuronal excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons, which was manifested by the decrease in the number and amplitude of action potentials evoked by depolarizing currents, and by the increase of firing threshold and rhoebase current. The above results suggest that SKF83959 increased Ih current through a D₁ receptor-independent mechanism, which led to the depolarization of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. These findings provide a novel mechanism for the drug's neuroprotective effects, which may contributes to its therapeutic benefits in Parkinson's disease.

Bursts and oscillations as independent properties of neural activity in the parkinsonian globus pallidus internus

Bursts and oscillatory modulations in firing rate are hallmark features of abnormal neuronal activity in the parkinsonian Globus Pallidus internus (GPi). Although often implicated together in the pathophysiology of parkinsonian signs, little is known about how burst discharges and oscillatory firing (OF) relate to each other. To investigate this question, extracellular single-unit neuronal activity was recorded from 132 GPi cells in 14 Parkinson's disease patients. We found that burst firing was equally prevalent in OF and non-oscillatory firing (NOF) cells (p>0.5). More than half of the cells were characterized by either aperiodic bursty activity or OF, but not both. OF and NOF cells had statistically-indistinguishable levels of mean burstiness (p=0.8). Even when bursting and OF co-existed in individual cells, levels of burstiness and oscillatory power were seldom correlated across time. Interestingly, however, the few OF cells with spectral peaks between 8-13 Hz (α-range) were substantially burstier than other cells (p<0.01) and showed an unique burst morphology and stronger temporal correlations between oscillatory power and burstiness. We conclude that independent mechanisms may underlie the burst discharges and OF typical of most neurons in the parkinsonian GPi.

Striatal spine plasticity in Parkinson's disease: pathological or not?

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a dramatic loss of dopamine that underlies complex structural and functional changes in striatal projection neurons. A key alteration that has been reported in various rodent models and PD patients is a significant reduction in striatal dendritic spine density. Our recent findings indicate that striatal spine loss is also a prominent feature of parkinsonism in MPTP-treated monkeys. In these animals, striatal spine plasticity is tightly linked with the degree of striatal dopamine denervation. It affects predominantly the sensorimotor striatal territory (i.e. the post-commissural putamen) and targets both direct and indirect striatofugal neurons. However, electron microscopic 3D reconstruction studies demonstrate that the remaining spines in the dopamine-denervated striatum of parkinsonian monkeys undergo major morphological and ultrastructural changes characteristic of increased synaptic efficacy. Although both corticostriatal and thalamostriatal glutamatergic afferents display such plastic changes, the ultrastructural features of pre- and post-synaptic elements at these synapses are consistent with a higher strength of corticostriatal synapses over thalamic inputs in both normal and pathological conditions. Thus, striatal projection neurons and their glutamatergic afferents are endowed with a high degree of structural and functional plasticity. In parkinsonism, the striatal dopamine denervation induces major spine loss on medium spiny neurons and generates a significant remodeling of corticostriatal and thalamostriatal glutamatergic synapses, consistent with increased synaptic transmission. Future studies are needed to further characterize the mechanisms underlying striatal spine plasticity, and determine if it represents a pathological feature or compensatory process of PD.

Dissociable effects of dopamine on neuronal firing rate and synchrony in the dorsal striatum

Previous studies showed that dopamine depletion leads to both changes in firing rate and in neuronal synchrony in the basal ganglia. Since dopamine D1 and D2 receptors are preferentially expressed in striatonigral and striatopallidal medium spiny neurons, respectively, we investigated the relative contribution of lack of D1 and/or D2-type receptor activation to the changes in striatal firing rate and synchrony observed after dopamine depletion. Similar to what was observed after dopamine depletion, co-administration of D1 and D2 antagonists to mice chronically implanted with multielectrode arrays in the striatum caused significant changes in firing rate, power of the local field potential (LFP) oscillations, and synchrony measured by the entrainment of neurons to striatal local field potentials. However, although blockade of either D1 or D2 type receptors produced similarly severe akinesia, the effects on neural activity differed. Blockade of D2 receptors affected the firing rate of medium spiny neurons and the power of the LFP oscillations substantially, but it did not affect synchrony to the same extent. In contrast, D1 blockade affected synchrony dramatically, but had less substantial effects on firing rate and LFP power. Furthermore, there was no consistent relation between neurons changing firing rate and changing LFP entrainment after dopamine blockade. Our results suggest that the changes in rate and entrainment to the LFP observed in medium spiny neurons after dopamine depletion are somewhat dissociable, and that lack of D1- or D2-type receptor activation can exert independent yet interactive pathological effects during the progression of Parkinson's disease.

A method for unit recording in the lumbar spinal cord during locomotion of the conscious adult rat

Extracellular recordings from single units in the brain, for example the neocortex, have proven feasible in moving, awake rats, but have not yet been possible in the spinal cord. Single-unit activity during locomotor-like activity in reduced preparations from adult cats and rats have provided valuable insights for the development of hypotheses about the organization of functional networks in the spinal cord. However, since reduced preparations could result in spurious conclusions, it is crucial to test these hypotheses in animals that are awake and behaving. Furthermore, unresolved issues such as how muscle force precision is achieved by motoneurons as well as how spinal neurons are spatio-temporally correlated are better to investigate in the conscious and behaving animal. We have therefore developed procedures to implant arrays of extracellular recording electrodes in the lumbar spinal cord of the adult rat for long-term studies. In addition, we implanted pairs of electromyographic electrodes in the hindlimbs for the purpose of monitoring locomotion. With our technique, we obtained stable long-term recordings of spinal units, even during locomotion. We suggest this as a novel method for investigating motor pattern-generating circuitry in the spinal cord.

Mean-field modeling of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical system. I Firing rates in healthy and parkinsonian states

Parkinsonism leads to various electrophysiological changes in the basal ganglia-thalamocortical system (BGTCS), often including elevated discharge rates of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the output nuclei, and reduced activity of the globus pallidus external (GPe) segment. These rate changes have been explained qualitatively in terms of the direct/indirect pathway model, involving projections of distinct striatal populations to the output nuclei and GPe. Although these populations partly overlap, evidence suggests dopamine depletion differentially affects cortico-striato-pallidal connection strengths to the two pallidal segments. Dopamine loss may also decrease the striatal signal-to-noise ratio, reducing both corticostriatal coupling and striatal firing thresholds. Additionally, nigrostriatal degeneration may cause secondary changes including weakened lateral inhibition in the GPe, and mesocortical dopamine loss may decrease intracortical excitation and especially inhibition. Here a mean-field model of the BGTCS is presented with structure and parameter estimates closely based on physiology and anatomy. Changes in model rates due to the possible effects of dopamine loss listed above are compared with experiment. Our results suggest that a stronger indirect pathway, possibly combined with a weakened direct pathway, is compatible with empirical evidence. However, altered corticostriatal connection strengths are probably not solely responsible for substantially increased STN activity often found. A lower STN firing threshold, weaker intracortical inhibition, and stronger striato-GPe inhibition help explain the relatively large increase in STN rate. Reduced GPe-GPe inhibition and a lower GPe firing threshold can account for the comparatively small decrease in GPe rate frequently observed. Changes in cortex, GPe, and STN help normalize the cortical rate, also in accord with experiments. The model integrates the basal ganglia into a unified framework along with an existing thalamocortical model that already accounts for a wide range of electrophysiological phenomena. A companion paper discusses the dynamics and oscillations of this combined system.

Mean-field modeling of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical system. II Dynamics of parkinsonian oscillations

Neuronal correlates of Parkinson's disease (PD) include a shift to lower frequencies in the electroencephalogram (EEG) and enhanced synchronized oscillations at 3-7 and 7-30 Hz in the basal ganglia, thalamus, and cortex. This study describes the dynamics of a recent physiologically based mean-field model of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical system, and shows how it accounts for many key electrophysiological correlates of PD. Its detailed functional connectivity comprises partially segregated direct and indirect pathways through two populations of striatal neurons, a hyperdirect pathway involving a corticosubthalamic projection, thalamostriatal feedback, and local inhibition in striatum and external pallidum (GPe). In a companion paper, realistic steady-state firing rates were obtained for the healthy state, and after dopamine loss modeled by weaker direct and stronger indirect pathways, reduced intrapallidal inhibition, lower firing thresholds of the GPe and subthalamic nucleus (STN), a stronger projection from striatum to GPe, and weaker cortical interactions. Here it is shown that oscillations around 5 and 20 Hz can arise with a strong indirect pathway, which also causes increased synchronization throughout the basal ganglia. Furthermore, increased theta power with progressive nigrostriatal degeneration is correlated with reduced alpha power and peak frequency, in agreement with empirical results. Unlike the hyperdirect pathway, the indirect pathway sustains oscillations with phase relationships that coincide with those found experimentally. Alterations in the responses of basal ganglia to transient stimuli accord with experimental observations. Reduced cortical gains due to both nigrostriatal and mesocortical dopamine loss lead to slower changes in cortical activity and may be related to bradykinesia. Finally, increased EEG power found in some studies may be partly explained by a lower effective GPe firing threshold, reduced GPe-GPe inhibition, and/or weaker intracortical connections in parkinsonian patients. Strict separation of the direct and indirect pathways is not necessary to obtain these results.

Synchronous oscillations and phase reorganization in the basal ganglia during akinesia induced by high-dose haloperidol

Movement disorders such as tremor and akinesia observed in Parkinson's disease have been attributed to dopamine (DA) depletion in the basal ganglia. The changes in subcortical neuronal discharge patterns that follow DA depletion have been a matter of much discussion. Here, we implanted rats with chronic recording electrodes bilaterally in the striatum (CPu) and external globus pallidus (GPe), and induced both acute and repeated DA blockade by administration of high-dose haloperidol. Recordings were made in baseline states, as well as before and after haloperidol injections, which rendered rats akinetic. The immediate physiological effect of pharmacological DA blockade was the development of prominent oscillatory firing in the 6-8 Hz range in both CPu and GPe. Importantly, this oscillatory pattern was not accompanied by consistent changes in the firing rate of either CPu or GPe neurons. Cross-correlation analysis further indicated that neurons within the CPu and GPe fired synchronously after DA blockade. Furthermore, although phase lags between neuronal discharges in the GPe and CPu were uniformly distributed prior to haloperidol administration, CPu significantly lagged GPe discharges after repeated DA blockade. Our results demonstrate that acute DA blockade is sufficient to produce synchronous oscillatory activity across basal ganglia neuron populations, and that prolonged DA blockade results in phase lag changes in pallidostriatal synchrony.

Measuring forelimb force control and movement in Fischer 344/Brown Norway rats: effects of age and lorazepam

The purpose of this study was to measure forelimb force control and movement kinetics in rats, as they are affected by normal aging and the benzodiazepine lorazepam. Young (6 months), middle-aged (18 months), and aged (24 months) rats were trained to emit discrete forelimb responses on an isometric force disk within a 20-25 g force band for water reinforcement. Dependent variables included number of responses, percentage of reinforced responses, peak response forces, and inter-response times. Inter-response times were divided into two categories: inter-response times <0.5 s (reflecting rapid, discrete forelimb responses) and inter-response times 4-8 s (reflecting movement sequences). Aged rats exhibited no apparent deficits in forelimb force control. Although older rats emitted fewer responses than younger rats, their response accuracy was greater. Peak forces did not differ among the groups. Both categories of inter-response times were slower in the aged group, reflecting slowed discrete movements and movement sequencing. Lorazepam increased the number of responses and peak forces, decreased response accuracy, and lengthened inter-response times within the 4-8 s range (but not the <0.5 s range) in all age groups. The results suggest that movement sequences may be more sensitive to the effects of acute benzodiazepines than rapid discrete movements.