Activation of the subthalamic region during emotional processing in Parkinson disease

Abstract

The delayed modulation of alpha activity recorded from the area of the subthalamic nucleus in PD may reflect the processing or transmission of information related to emotional stimuli. "Limbic" activation in the region of the subthalamic nucleus may explain why high-frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus alters affect in some patients with PD.

STN‐stimulation in Parkinson's disease restores striatal inhibition of thalamocortical projection

“…We specifically checked whether emotional content itself is a confounder in the ROI analyses of blood flow changes during presentation of neutral and emotional images on and off DBS stimulation for all reported coordinates. We found no significant changes and only an insignificant trend indicating raised activity in the right STN for neutral vs. unpleasant images, consistent with activation by emotional content of the limbic part of the STN, as described elsewhere [Kuhn et al, 2005]. As this trend was equally present on and off stimulation, it is not a bias in the present study.…”

Deep brain stimulation in Parkinson disease—what went wrong?

“…Recordings of neuronal activity in PD patients and/or in animals have shown that the STN is involved not only in motor [44,45], but also in emotional [26] and motivational [46] processes. A classic paradigm for studying conflict is the Stroop word-colour interference task [47].…”

Deep brain stimulation: from neurology to psychiatry?

“…Third, it can be coupled to functional neuroimaging studies [24,25]. Finally, implanted electrodes can be used to record neuronal activity within the brain while the patient performs cognitive, emotional or motor tasks [26]. Thus, DBS is not only a therapeutic technique, but also constitutes a powerful tool for the study of brain functions.…”