Involvement of the human pedunculopontine nucleus region in voluntary movements

Tsang, Eric W. K.; Hamani, Clement; Moro, Elena; Mazzella, Filomena; Poon, Yu‐Yan; Lozano, Andrés M.; Chen, R.

doi:10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181f25b35

Cited by 78 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Local field potential (LFP) recordings from the PPN have reported oscillations in both the alpha (6-12Hz) and beta (12-30Hz) frequency bands 33,[35][36][37] , with relatively higher alpha power in caudal-PPN, and higher beta power in the rostral-PPN 35 . Active gait is accompanied by increased LFP alpha power in the caudal PPN 35 .…”

Section: Phase Locking In the Ppn Is State Dependentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Imagined gait modulates neuronal network dynamics in the human pedunculopontine nucleus

et al. 2014

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The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) is a part of the mesencephalic locomotor region and thought to play a key role in the initiation and maintenance of gait. Lesions of the PPN induce gait deficits, and the PPN has therefore emerged as a target for deep brain stimulation for the control of gait and postural disability. However, the role of the PPN gait control is not understood. Here, using extracellular single unit recordings in awake patients, we show that neurons in the PPN discharge as synchronous functional networks whose activity is phase locked to alpha oscillations. Neurons within the PPN respond to limb movement and imagined gait by dynamically changing network activity, and decreasing alpha phase locking. These results show that different synchronous networks are activated during initial motor planning and actual motion, and suggest that changes in gait initiation in PD may result from disrupted network activity in the PPN. IntroductionParkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by bradykinesia, rigidity and tremor, thought to result from loss of dopaminergic neurons 1 . Treatment of PD is symptomatic, with dopamine replacement with levodopa being the mainstay of treatment 2 . However, after an initial period of improvement, the beneficial effects of levodopa are overshadowed by side-effects such as dyskinesia and neuropsychiatric complications 3 . Moreover, in advanced PD, axial symptoms such as freezing of gait and postural difficulties become increasingly prevalent. Whereas the motor symptoms of PD are responsive to dopamine replacement, gait freezing and postural instability respond poorly. The pathophysiology of these gait disturbances is poorly understood, but their late onset and resistance to levodopa has led to the suggestion that they may result from pathology in nondopaminergic structures involved in locomotion 4,5 .Gait is controlled by genetically defined neuronal networks, the central pattern generators (CPGs), in the spinal cord 6,7 , which are in turn activated by supraspinal centres that initiate and control movement [6][7][8] . Among these, the mesencepalic locomotor region (MLR) in the brainstem plays a key role in the control of gait 9,10 . Within the MLR, the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), that is extensively connected with the basal ganglia 11 , has a central role in the initiation and maintenance of gait [12][13][14] and lesions of the PPN induce gait deficits 14 . Gait and postural disturbances in PD are accompanied by cell loss within the PPN [14][15][16] , but are partially relieved by deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the PPN [17][18][19] , supporting the central role of the PPN in locomotion.Much is understood about the development and function of spinal cord CPGs 20 . However, while CPG function is controlled by afferent projections from the MLR 9, 10 , little is understood about activity within the MLR, and its response to movement. In this study, using single unit recordings in awake patients, we describe the properties of neurons in t...

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Section: Phase Locking In the Ppn Is State Dependentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Imagined gait modulates neuronal network dynamics in the human pedunculopontine nucleus

et al. 2014

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“…Neuronal firing did not show these oscillations, rather there pattern was bursty or regular. More recently, Tsang et al [213] showed beta synchronization in pre-movement activity in the on medication state, but not in the off medication.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neural network dynamics in Parkinson's disease

Lourens¹

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“…of the pedunculopontine alpha-band power was observed in parallel to freezing of gait (Thevathasan et al, 2012) and coherence modulation between the pedunculopontine nucleus and cortex in the alpha band was identified in phasic wrist movement (Tsang et al, 2010). Whether alpha rhythm modulation might constitute a 'binding mechanism' to balance the contribution of cortico-spinal and nigro-ponto-reticular transmission to the spinal motor neuron might be addressed in future with combined electrophysiological recordings from the midbrain and brainstem nuclei together with MEG/EEG and EMG.…”

Section: Is Transient Suppression Of Cortical Motor Processing a Mechmentioning

confidence: 95%

Neuromuscular correlates of subthalamic stimulation and upper limb freezing in Parkinson’s disease

Scholten

Klotz

Plewnia

et al. 2016

Clinical Neurophysiology

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Involvement of the human pedunculopontine nucleus region in voluntary movements

Cited by 78 publications

References 42 publications

Imagined gait modulates neuronal network dynamics in the human pedunculopontine nucleus

Imagined gait modulates neuronal network dynamics in the human pedunculopontine nucleus

Neural network dynamics in Parkinson's disease

Neuromuscular correlates of subthalamic stimulation and upper limb freezing in Parkinson’s disease

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