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Movement Disorders : Official Journal... May 2018In this Scientific Perspectives we first review the recent advances in our understanding of the functional architecture of basal ganglia circuits. Then we argue that... (Review)
Review
In this Scientific Perspectives we first review the recent advances in our understanding of the functional architecture of basal ganglia circuits. Then we argue that these data can best be explained by a model in which basal ganglia act to control the gain of movement kinematics to shape performance based on prior experience, which we refer to as a history-dependent gain computation. Finally, we discuss how insights from the history-dependent gain model might translate from the bench to the bedside, primarily the implications for the design of adaptive deep brain stimulation. Thus, we explicate the key empirical and conceptual support for a normative, computational model with substantial explanatory power for the broad role of basal ganglia circuits in health and disease. © 2018 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Topics: Animals; Basal Ganglia; Biomechanical Phenomena; Computer Simulation; Humans; Models, Neurological; Movement; Neural Pathways
PubMed: 29575303
DOI: 10.1002/mds.27321 -
BMJ Case Reports Jan 2014Organophosphate (OP) poisoning is a common occurrence in the rural areas of developing countries like India. Acute cholinergic crisis is one of the important causes of...
Organophosphate (OP) poisoning is a common occurrence in the rural areas of developing countries like India. Acute cholinergic crisis is one of the important causes of mortality related to OP poisoning. Delayed peripheral neuropathy, extrapyramidal syndromes and neuropsychiatric manifestations are the major consequences of secondary neuronal damage. This case illustrates a 14-year-old girl who ingested 50 mL of OP pesticide and developed extrapyramidal symptoms in the form of parkinsonism and hand dystonia in spite of immediate medical attention. MRI of the brain with T2, fluid attenuated inversion recovery and diffusion-weighted sequences revealed bilateral symmetrical basal ganglia hyperintensities. Further follow-up revealed a significant clinical improvement with marked resolutions of the brain lesions. The reversible extrapyramidal symptoms with disappearance of neuroimaging findings without neuropathy or neuropsychiatric manifestations are unusual in OP poisoning.
Topics: Adolescent; Basal Ganglia; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Brain; Developing Countries; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Female; Glasgow Coma Scale; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Neurologic Examination; Organophosphate Poisoning; Physical Therapy Modalities
PubMed: 24398867
DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2013-009752 -
Neuroscience Feb 2022Analysis of the basal ganglia has been important in investigating the effects of Parkinson's disease as well as treatments for Parkinson's disease. One method of...
Analysis of the basal ganglia has been important in investigating the effects of Parkinson's disease as well as treatments for Parkinson's disease. One method of analysis has been using MRI for non-invasively segmenting the basal ganglia, then investigating significant parameters that involve the basal ganglia, such as fiber orientations and positional markers for deep brain stimulation (DBS). Following enhancements to optimizations and improvements to 3T and 7T MRI acquisitions, we utilized Lead-DBS on human connectome project data to automatically segment the basal ganglia of 49 human connectome project subjects, reducing the reliance on manual segmentation for more consistency. We generated probabilistic tractography streamlines between each segmentation pair using 3T and 7T human connectome diffusion data to observe any major differences in tractography streamline patterns that can arise due to tradeoffs from different field strengths and acquisitions. Tractography streamlines generated between basal ganglia structures using 3T images showed less standard deviation in streamline count than using 7T images. Mean tractography streamline counts generated using 3T diffusion images were all higher in count than streamlines generated using 7T diffusion images. We illustrate a potential method for analyzing the structural connectivity between basal ganglia structures, as well as visualize possible differences in probabilistic tractography that can arise from different acquisition protocols.
Topics: Basal Ganglia; Connectome; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Parkinson Disease; White Matter
PubMed: 34974113
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.12.034 -
Brain, Behavior and Evolution 2014Herein we take advantage of the evolutionary developmental biology approach in order to improve our understanding of both the functional organization and the evolution... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Review
Herein we take advantage of the evolutionary developmental biology approach in order to improve our understanding of both the functional organization and the evolution of the basal ganglia, with a particular focus on the globus pallidus. Therefore, we review data on the expression of developmental regulatory genes (that play key roles in patterning, regional specification and/or morphogenesis), gene function and fate mapping available in different vertebrate species, which are useful to (a) understand the embryonic origin and basic features of each neuron subtype of the basal ganglia (including neurotransmitter/neuropeptide expression and connectivity patterns); (b) identify the same (homologous) subpopulations in different species and the degree of variation or conservation throughout phylogeny, and (c) identify possible mechanisms that may explain the evolution of the basal ganglia. These data show that the globus pallidus of rodents contains two major subpopulations of GABAergic projection neurons: (1) neurons containing parvalbumin and neurotensin-related hexapetide (LANT6), with descending projections to the subthalamus and substantia nigra, which originate from progenitors expressing Nkx2.1, primarily located in the pallidal embryonic domain (medial ganglionic eminence), and (2) neurons containing preproenkephalin (and possibly calbindin), with ascending projections to the striatum, which appear to originate from progenitors expressing Islet1 in the striatal embryonic domain (lateral ganglionic eminence). Based on data on Nkx2.1, Islet1, LANT6 and proenkephalin, it appears that both cell types are also present in the globus pallidus/dorsal pallidum of chicken, frog and lungfish. In chicken, the globus pallidus also contains neurons expressing substance P (SP), perhaps originating in the striatal embryonic domain. In ray-finned and cartilaginous fishes, the pallidum contains at least the Nkx2.1 lineage cell population (likely representing the neurons containing LANT6). Based on the presence of neurons containing enkephalin or SP, it is possible that the pallidum of these animals also includes the Islet1 lineage cell subpopulation, and both neuron subtypes were likely present in the pallidum of the first jawed vertebrates. In contrast, lampreys (jawless fishes) appear to lack the pallidal embryonic domain and the Nkx2.1 lineage cell population that mainly characterize the pallidum in jawed vertebrates. In the absence of data in other jawless fishes, the ancestral condition in vertebrates remains to be elucidated. Perhaps, a major event in telencephalic evolution was the novel expression of Nkx2.1 in the subpallium, which has been related to Hedgehog expression and changes in the regulatory region of Nkx2.1.
Topics: Animals; Basal Ganglia; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Globus Pallidus; Neurons
PubMed: 24776992
DOI: 10.1159/000357832 -
Annual Review of Neuroscience 2014The basal ganglia are equipped with inhibitory and disinhibitory mechanisms that enable a subject to choose valuable objects and actions. Notably, a value can be... (Review)
Review
The basal ganglia are equipped with inhibitory and disinhibitory mechanisms that enable a subject to choose valuable objects and actions. Notably, a value can be determined flexibly by recent experience or stably by prolonged experience. Recent studies have revealed that the head and tail of the caudate nucleus selectively and differentially process flexible and stable values of visual objects. These signals are sent to the superior colliculus through different parts of the substantia nigra so that the animal looks preferentially at high-valued objects, but in different manners. Thus, relying on short-term value memories, the caudate head circuit allows the subject's gaze to move expectantly to recently valued objects. Relying on long-term value memories, the caudate tail circuit allows the subject's gaze to move automatically to previously valued objects. The basal ganglia also contain an equivalent parallel mechanism for action values. Such flexible-stable parallel mechanisms for object and action values create a highly adaptable system for decision making.
Topics: Animals; Basal Ganglia; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Brain Mapping; Decision Making; Humans; Memory; Neural Pathways; Reward; Saccades; Superior Colliculi; Visual Perception
PubMed: 25032497
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-071013-013924 -
Behavioural Neurology 2013The basal ganglia are interconnected with cortical areas involved in behavioural, cognitive and emotional processes, in addition to movement regulation. Little is known... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
The basal ganglia are interconnected with cortical areas involved in behavioural, cognitive and emotional processes, in addition to movement regulation. Little is known about which of these functions are associated with individual basal ganglia substructures.
METHODS
Pubmed was searched for literature related to behavioural, cognitive and emotional symptoms associated with focal lesions to basal ganglia structures in humans.
RESULTS
Six case-control studies and two case reports were identified as relevant. Lesion sites included the caudate nucleus, putamen and globus pallidus. These were associated with a spectrum of behavioural and cognitive symptoms, including abulia, poor working memory and deficits in emotional recognition.
DISCUSSION
It is often difficult to precisely map associations between cognitive, emotional or behavioural functions and particular basal ganglia substructures, due to the non-specific nature of the lesions. However, evidence from lesion studies shows that most symptoms correspond with established non-motor frontal-subcortical circuits.
Topics: Basal Ganglia; Cognition; Emotions; Frontal Lobe; Humans; Neural Pathways; Thalamus
PubMed: 22713407
DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-120264 -
The Journal of Neuroscience : the... Nov 2011Although the existence of prominent connections between the intralaminar thalamic nuclei and the basal ganglia has long been established, the limited knowledge of the... (Review)
Review
Although the existence of prominent connections between the intralaminar thalamic nuclei and the basal ganglia has long been established, the limited knowledge of the functional relevance of this network has considerably hampered progress in our understanding of the neural mechanisms by which the thalamostriatal system integrates and regulates the basal ganglia circuitry. In this brief commentary, we will address this gap of knowledge through a discussion of the key points of a symposium entitled "Thalamic Contributions to Basal Ganglia-Related Behavioral Switching and Reinforcement" that will be presented at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience meeting. Recent anatomical and physiological data that support the role of the thalamostriatal system in action selection, attentional shifting, and reinforcement will be discussed. We will also address the possibility that degeneration of the thalamostriatal system could underlie some of the deficits in redirection of attention in response to salient stimuli seen in Parkinson's disease.
Topics: Animals; Attention; Basal Ganglia; Humans; Neural Pathways; Neurons; Parkinson Disease; Reinforcement, Psychology; Thalamus
PubMed: 22072662
DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4634-11.2011 -
Frontiers in Neural Circuits 2018The basal ganglia are involved in the motivational and habitual control of motor and cognitive behaviors. Striatum, the largest basal ganglia input stage, integrates... (Review)
Review
Basal Ganglia Neuromodulation Over Multiple Temporal and Structural Scales-Simulations of Direct Pathway MSNs Investigate the Fast Onset of Dopaminergic Effects and Predict the Role of Kv4.2.
The basal ganglia are involved in the motivational and habitual control of motor and cognitive behaviors. Striatum, the largest basal ganglia input stage, integrates cortical and thalamic inputs in functionally segregated cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic loops, and in addition the basal ganglia output nuclei control targets in the brainstem. Striatal function depends on the balance between the direct pathway medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs) that express D1 dopamine receptors and the indirect pathway MSNs that express D2 dopamine receptors. The striatal microstructure is also divided into striosomes and matrix compartments, based on the differential expression of several proteins. Dopaminergic afferents from the midbrain and local cholinergic interneurons play crucial roles for basal ganglia function, and striatal signaling via the striosomes in turn regulates the midbrain dopaminergic system directly and via the lateral habenula. Consequently, abnormal functions of the basal ganglia neuromodulatory system underlie many neurological and psychiatric disorders. Neuromodulation acts on multiple structural levels, ranging from the subcellular level to behavior, both in health and disease. For example, neuromodulation affects membrane excitability and controls synaptic plasticity and thus learning in the basal ganglia. However, it is not clear on what time scales these different effects are implemented. Phosphorylation of ion channels and the resulting membrane effects are typically studied over minutes while it has been shown that neuromodulation can affect behavior within a few hundred milliseconds. So how do these seemingly contradictory effects fit together? Here we first briefly review neuromodulation of the basal ganglia, with a focus on dopamine. We furthermore use biophysically detailed multi-compartmental models to integrate experimental data regarding dopaminergic effects on individual membrane conductances with the aim to explain the resulting cellular level dopaminergic effects. In particular we predict dopaminergic effects on Kv4.2 in D1-MSNs. Finally, we also explore dynamical aspects of the onset of neuromodulation effects in multi-scale computational models combining biochemical signaling cascades and multi-compartmental neuron models.
Topics: Animals; Basal Ganglia; Computer Simulation; Corpus Striatum; Dopamine; Membrane Potentials; Models, Neurological; Neural Pathways; Shal Potassium Channels
PubMed: 29467627
DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00003 -
Movement Disorders : Official Journal... Nov 2017Dystonia is a common movement disorder that devastates the lives of many patients, but the etiology of this disorder remains poorly understood. Dystonia has... (Review)
Review
Dystonia is a common movement disorder that devastates the lives of many patients, but the etiology of this disorder remains poorly understood. Dystonia has traditionally been considered a disorder of the basal ganglia. However, growing evidence suggests that the cerebellum may be involved in certain types of dystonia, raising several questions. Can different types of dystonia be classified as either a basal ganglia disorder or a cerebellar disorder? Is dystonia a network disorder that involves the cerebellum and basal ganglia? If dystonia is a network disorder, how can we target treatments to alleviate symptoms in patients? A recent study by Chen et al, using the pharmacological mouse model of rapid-onset dystonia parkinsonism, has provided some insight into these important questions. They showed that the cerebellum can directly modulate basal ganglia activity through a short latency cerebello-thalamo-basal ganglia pathway. Further, this article and others have provided evidence that in some cases, aberrant cerebello-basal ganglia communication can be involved in dystonia. In this review we examine the evidence for the involvement of the cerebellum and cerebello-basal ganglia interactions in dystonia. We conclude that there is ample evidence to suggest that the cerebellum plays a role in some dystonias, including the early-onset primary torsion dystonia DYT1 and that further studies examining the role of this brain region and its interaction with the basal ganglia in dystonia are warranted. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Topics: Animals; Basal Ganglia; Cerebellum; Dystonic Disorders; Humans
PubMed: 28843013
DOI: 10.1002/mds.27123 -
Genes, Brain, and Behavior Jan 2017Dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) consistently emerge as a critical substrate for the etiology of some major psychiatric disorders. Indeed, a central theory of substance use... (Review)
Review
Dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) consistently emerge as a critical substrate for the etiology of some major psychiatric disorders. Indeed, a central theory of substance use disorders (SUDs) postulates that a reduction in D2R levels in the striatum is a determining factor that confers vulnerability to abuse substances. A large number of clinical and preclinical studies strongly support this link between SUDs and D2Rs; however, identifying the mechanism by which low D2Rs facilitate SUDs has been hindered by the complexity of circuit connectivity, the heterogeneity of D2R expression and the multifaceted constellation of phenotypes observed in SUD patient. Animal models are well-suited for understanding the mechanisms because they allow access to the circuitry and the genetic tools that enable a dissection of the D2R heterogeneity. This review discusses recent findings on the functional role of D2Rs and highlights the distinctive contributions of D2Rs expressed on specific neuronal subpopulations to the behavioral responses to stimulant drugs. A circuit-wide restructuring of local and long-range inhibitory connectivity within the basal ganglia is observed in response to manipulation of striatal D2R levels and is accompanied by multiple alterations in dopamine-dependent behaviors. Collectively, these new findings provide compelling evidence for a critical role of striatal D2Rs in shaping basal ganglia connectivity; even among neurons that do not express D2Rs. These findings from animal models have deep clinical implications for SUD patients with low levels D2R availability where a similar restructuring of basal ganglia circuitry is expected to take place.
Topics: Animals; Basal Ganglia; Corpus Striatum; Drug-Seeking Behavior; Humans; Receptors, Dopamine D2; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 27860248
DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12361