High-frequency deep brain stimulation targeting the output nucleus of the basal ganglia, the globus pallidus internus, has been suggested as a treatment modality for intractable Tourette syndrome and basal-ganglia-mediated motor tics. Recent studies on the modeling of motor tics induced by focal injections of bicuculline to the striatum, a putative model of Tourette syndrome, have shown that ti...

Neuropeptide immunohistochemistry was used to test several hypotheses of the anatomical bases of chorea and rigidity-kinesia. To test the hypothesis that elevated concentration of striatal somatostatin causes chorea, we visually compared the density of striatal neurons containing somatostatin and neuropeptide Y in brains affected by choreic or rigid-kinetic Huntington's disease (HD). The densit...

Introduction Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by reduction and slowness of movement (akinesia and bradykinesia), muscle rigidity, and tremor. The core pathology of the disease is the degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta that project to the striatum and other basal ganglia nuclei. The striatum is...

The endomorphins are recently discovered endogenous agonists for the mu-opioid receptor (Zadina et al., 1997). Endomorphins produce analgesia; however, their role in other brain functions has not been elucidated. We have investigated the behavioral effects of endomorphin-1 in the globus pallidus, a brain region that is rich in mu-opioid receptors and involved in motor control. Bilateral adminis...

The undecapeptide substance P has been demonstrated to modulate neuronal activity in a number of brain regions by acting on neurokinin-1 receptors. Anatomical studies revealed a moderate level of neurokinin-1 receptor in rat globus pallidus. To determine the electrophysiological effects of neurokinin-1 receptor activation in globus pallidus, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed in t...

OBJECTIVE The overall goal of this study was to evaluate the usability of the susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) in (1) assessment of iron deposition to enhance our ability to detect PD in the early phase and (2) in estimation of the degree of PD. PATIENTS AND METHODS SWI scans were carried out in 54 patients with PD (18 patients with the Hoehn-Yahr scale < 1.5 and 36 patients with the Hoe...

In order to investigate the sequence and pattern of neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease, the distribution and density of cannabinoid CB(1), dopamine D(1) and D(2), adenosine A(2a) and GABA(A) receptor changes were studied in the basal ganglia in early (grade 0), intermediate (grades 1, 2) and advanced (grade 3) neuropathological grades of Huntington's disease. The results showed a sequent...

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the organization of the interconnections between the subthalamic nucleus and the two segments of the globus pallidus in squirrel monkeys. By making small deposits of tracers in the two segments of the globus pallidus, we demonstrate that interconnected neurons of the subthalamic nucleus and the external pallidum innervate, via axon collaterals, the ...

OBJECTIVE We report serial magnetic resonance (MR) and sonographic behavior of globus pallidus in 5 preterm and 3 term infants with kernicterus and describe the clinical context in very low birth weight preterm infants. On the basis of this information, we suggest means of diagnosis and prevention. METHODS Charts and MR and ultrasound images of 5 preterm infants and 3 term infants with suspec...