Even simple behaviour requires us to make decisions based on combining multiple pieces of learned and new information. Making such decisions requires both learning the optimal response to each given stimulus as well as combining probabilistic information from multiple stimuli before selecting a response. Computational theories of decision making predict that learning individual stimulus-respons...

background : subthalamic nucleus (stn) stimulation is the  reatment of choice for carefully chosen patients with idiopathic parkinson's disease (pd) and refractory motor fluctuations. we evaluated the value of intraoperative electrophysiology during stn deep brain stimulation (dbs) procedures in refining the anatomically-defined target. methods : we determined the spatial distance between the a...

Adaptive behaviour entails the capacity to select actions as a function of their energy cost and expected value and the disruption of this faculty is now viewed as a possible cause of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Indirect evidence points to the involvement of the subthalamic nucleus-the most common target for deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease-in cost-benefit computation. How...

INTRODUCTION Generalised dystonia is an entity that does not usually respond well to medical treatment. Different surgical targets have therefore been used in the treatment of dystonia, including several thalamic nuclei or the internal globus pallidus. The subthalamic nucleus plays a fundamental role in the physiology of the basal ganglia. It could therefore be considered to be a good potential...

High frequency deep-brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (deep brain stimulation, DBS) relieves many of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in humans and animal models. Although the treatment has seen widespread use, its therapeutic mechanism remains paradoxical. The subthalamic nucleus is excitatory, so its stimulation at rates higher than its normal firing rate should worsen the disea...

Nitric oxide (NO) is a major neurotransmitter associated with motor control in basal ganglia. Movement disorders, as essential tremor and Parkinson's disease, are more prevalent on aged individuals. We investigated the effects of aging on neuronal density and diameter/area of nitrergic neurons in samples of striatum (caudate and putamen) and subthalamic nucleus of 20 human brains from normal su...