Extracellular recordings in primates have identified two types of neurons in the external segment of the globus pallidus (GPe): high frequency pausers (HFP) and low frequency bursters (LFB). The aim of the current study was to test whether the properties of HFP and LFB neurons recorded extracellularly in the primate GPe are linked to cellular mechanisms underlying the generation of action potential (AP) firing. Thus, we recorded from primate and rat globus pallidus neurons. Extracellular recordings in primates revealed that in addition to differences in firing patterns the APs of neurons in these two groups have different widths (APex). To quantitatively investigate this difference and to explore the heterogeneity of pallidal neurons we carried out cell-attached and whole-cell recordings from acute slices of the rat globus pallidus (GP, the rodent homolog of the primate GPe), examining both spontaneous and evoked activity. Several parameters related to the extracellular activity were extracted in order to subdivide the population of recorded GP neurons into groups. Statistical analysis showed that the GP neurons in the rodents may be differentiated along six cellular parameters into three subgroups. Combining two of these groups allowed a better separation of the population along nine parameters. Four of these parameters (Fmax, APamp, APhw, and AHPs amplitude) form a subset, suggesting that one group of neurons may generate APs at significantly higher frequencies than the other group. This may suggest that the differences between the HFP and LFB neurons in the primate are related to fundamental underlying differences in their cellular properties.

The firing patterns of neurons in the globus pallidus (GP) are affected by two major sources of GABAergic inhibition: striatal afferents and local axon collaterals. Local GABAergic GP-GP synapses display short-term depression (STD) and very sparse connectivity. At the high presynaptic firing rates typical in the GP, one would expect this STD to be complete, practically canceling the postsynaptic impact of the synapse. To investigate the apparent paradox of a synapse not affecting its postsynaptic neuron, we performed dual whole-cell recordings in acute brain slices from rats and recorded, for the first time, unitary IPSPs from a GP-GP GABAergic connection. We show that at high presynaptic firing rates the unitary connection continuously modulates the postsynaptic firing rate through a combination of large chloride driving force, unitary IPSP summation, and incomplete synaptic depression. Our findings indicate that, despite substantial STD and sparse connectivity, local GABAergic axon collaterals in the GP may echo the changes in presynaptic firing frequency across postsynaptic targets.

Chorea is a basal-ganglia (BG) related hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by irregular continuous involuntary movements. Chorea and related hyperbehavioral disorders may be induced in behaving primates by local microinjections of the GABA(A) antagonist bicuculline to the globus pallidus externus (GPe). We performed multielectrode extracellular recordings in the GPe and in the globus pallidus internus (GPi) before, during, and after bicuculline microinjections. Bicuculline led to an increase in the firing rate and a change in the firing pattern of GPe neurons. Two types of abnormal neuronal firing patterns were detected in GPe neurons close to the bicuculline microinjection site: continuous high-frequency activity and bistable activity, in which neurons transitioned between high-frequency and complete cessation of firing. Neuronal activity remained uncorrelated within and between the GPe and the GPi, with no evidence for propagation of the focal GPe abnormal activity downstream to the GPi. Despite reduction in the information capacity of bicuculline-affected GPe neurons, the ability to encode behavioral events was maintained. We found similar responses of GPe neurons to bicuculline in vitro in the rat, suggesting a basic cellular mechanism underlying these abnormal firing patterns. These results demonstrate that chorea is associated with focal neuronal changes that are not complemented by global changes in the BG nuclei. This suggests a mechanism of stochastic phasic alteration of BG control leading to the chaotic nature of chorea. Thus rather than imposing a globalized state of cortical excitability, chorea might be associated with changes in internal information processing within the BG.

Electrical stimulation in the globus pallidus (GP) leads to complex modulations of neuronal activity in the stimulated nucleus. Multiple in vivo studies have demonstrated the modulation of both firing rates and patterns during and immediately following the GP stimulation. Previous in vitro studies, together with computational studies, have suggested the involvement of short-term synaptic plasticity (STP) during the stimulation. The aim of the current study was to explore in vitro the effects of STP on neuronal activity of GP neurons during local repetitive stimulation. We recorded synaptic potentials and assessed the modulations of spontaneous firing in a postsynaptic neuron in acute brain slices via a whole-cell pipette. Low-frequency repetitive stimulation locked the firing of the neuron to the stimulus. However, high-frequency repetitive stimulation in the GP generated a biphasic modulation of the firing frequency consisting of inhibitory and excitatory phases. Using blockers of synaptic transmission, we show that GABAergic synapses mediated the inhibitory and glutamatergic synapses the excitatory part of the response. Furthermore, we report that at high stimulation frequencies both types of synapses undergo short-term depression leading to a time dependent modulation of the neuronal firing. These findings indicate that STP modulates the dynamic responses of pallidal activity during electrical stimulation, and may contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism underlying deep brain stimulation like protocols.