1. Pedunculopontine tegmental Nucleus-evoked prepulse inhibition of the blink reflex in Parkinson's disease.
- Author
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Insola A, Mazzone P, Della Marca G, Capozzo A, Vitale F, and Scarnati E
- Subjects
- Aged, Cohort Studies, Deep Brain Stimulation instrumentation, Electric Stimulation methods, Electrodes, Implanted, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Parkinson Disease diagnostic imaging, Blinking physiology, Deep Brain Stimulation methods, Parkinson Disease physiopathology, Parkinson Disease therapy, Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus physiology, Prepulse Inhibition physiology
- Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effects on the blink reflex (BR) of single stimuli applied to the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg)., Methods: The BR was evoked by stimulating the supraorbital nerve (SON) in fifteen patients suffering from idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) who had electrodes monolaterally or bilaterally implanted in the PPTg for deep brain stimulation (DBS). Single stimuli were delivered to the PPTg through externalized electrode connection wires 3-4 days following PPTg implantation., Results: PPTg stimuli increased the latency and reduced duration, amplitude and area of the R2 component of the BR in comparison to the response recorded in the absence of PPTg stimulation. These effects were independent of the side of SON stimulation and were stable for interstimulus interval (ISI) between PPTg prepulse and SON stimulus from 0 to 110 ms. The PPTg-induced prepulse inhibition of the BR was bilaterally present in the brainstem. The R1 component was unaffected., Conclusions: The prepulse inhibition of the R2 component may be modulated by the PPTg., Significance: These findings suggest that abnormalities of BR occurring in PD may be ascribed to a reduction of basal ganglia-mediated inhibition of brainstem excitability., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2021
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