Authors: Christine Winter Christoph Lemke Reinhard Sohr Wassilios Meissner Daniel Harnack Georg Juckel Rudolf Morgenstern Andreas Kupsch
Publish Date: 2007/10/26
Volume: 185, Issue: 3, Pages: 497-507
Abstract
Despite the benefit high frequency stimulation HFS of the subthalamic nucleus STN has on motor symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease PD accumulating data also suggest effects of STNHFS on nonmotor behavior This may be related to the involvement of the STN in the limbic basal gangliathalamocortical loops In the present study we investigated the effect of acute STNHFS on neurotransmission in associated structures of these pathways ie the nucleus accumbens NAc core and shell as well as the ventral tegmental area VTA using in vivo microdialysis Experiments were performed in anaesthetized naïve rats and rats selectively lesioned in the substantia nigra pars compacta SNc or VTA We demonstrate that 1 STNHFS leads to an increase in DA in the NAc 2 these effects are more pronounced in the NAc shell than in the NAc core 3 STNHFS leads to a decrease in GABA in the VTA 4 preceding lesion of the SNc does not seem to affect the effect of STNHFS on accumbal DA transmission whereas 5 preceding lesion of the VTA seems to prohibit further detection of DA in the NAc We conclude that STNHFS significantly affects neurotransmission in the limbic system which might contribute to explain the nonmotor effects of STNHFSWe wish to thank C Koelske and R Winter for their excellent technical assistance This study was supported by the grants Ku 830/31 and 33 DFG Germany and QLK6CT199902173 European Community C W is a RahelHirsch Fellow of the Humboldt University Berlin Germany
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