title: A massively connected subthalamic nucleus leads to the generation of widespread pulses.
abstract: A composite model of the subthalamic nucleus is developed from physiological and anatomical considerations. First, study of a geometric model of the anatomical arrangements of projection neurons within the nucleus indicates that they form a massively connected network. Second, given the excitatory nature of these neurons, their threshold and peak firing rates, a simple model of neuron responses reveals that large regions of this highly interconnected nucleus can respond to excitatory input in the form of a wide-spread uniform pulse. Such widespread pulses of activity may act as a braking signal that resets the major basal ganglia output nuclei.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive Science, University of Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Gillies
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Willshaw
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000502:physiology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*