|
Revealing a novel nociceptive network that links the subthalamic nucleus to pain processing: involvement in Parkinson's disease| old_uid | 18118 |
|---|
| title | Revealing a novel nociceptive network that links the subthalamic nucleus to pain processing: involvement in Parkinson's disease |
|---|
| start_date | 2019/11/07 |
|---|
| schedule | 14h |
|---|
| online | no |
|---|
| summary | Pain is a highly prevalent symptom in Parkinson's disease. Patients describe bizarre and unexplained painful sensations such as painful burning, stabbing, aching, itching or tingling sensations predominating in the most affected side. Those symptoms are assumed to originate from a central nervous system dysfunction. Interestingly, Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus, an effective therapeutic technique for the motor symptoms of this disease, is also an effective treatment for pain. This effect of DBS is surprising as the link between pain and the subthalamic nucleus remains unclear.
In the work presented, using in vivo electrophysiology in rats, we report that the subthalamic nucleus neurons exhibit complex tonic and phasic responses to noxious stimuli. The manipulation of the integrity of this structure change the rat nociceptive responses measured behaviorally using the hotplate test. We also characterized the role of the superior colliculus and the parabrachial nucleus in the transmission of nociceptive information to the subthalamic nucleus, both physiologically and, in the case of the parabrachial nucleus, anatomically. Finally, we show that the subthalamic nucleus nociceptive responses are abnormal in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Our findings on the involvement of the subthalamic nucleus in nociceptive processing and its link to a nociceptive network open a new direction for research to explore a possible role of this structure in other pain symptoms. |
|---|
| responsibles | Taverna |
|---|
| |
|