Bicuculline injections into the rostral and caudal motor thalamus of the monkey induce different types of dystonia.
The pathophysiology of dystonia remains unclear in comparison with other movement disorders. Recent data suggest that there may exist in dystonia an increased thalamic drive to the mesial premotor cortex. To test this hypothesis, we induced overactivity of the motor thalamus by injecting a GABA-A (gamma-aminobutyric acid) antagonist (bicuculline) into the rostral (pallidal) and caudal (cerebellar) ventrolateral nuclei of the thalamus in both hemispheres of one monkey. Dystonic postures were observed in the contralateral limbs and axis. Electromyographic recordings revealed bursts of muscular activation with co-contractions during spontaneous dystonic movements and alterations in muscular patterns during sequential visually guided arm movements. The type of dystonia depended on the site of injections. Rostral thalamic injections induced more severe dystonic postures, whereas myoclonic jerks predominated following caudal injections. We conclude that these two distinct clinical patterns, which are frequently associated in humans, are probably due to a dysfunctioning of segregated thalamic projections to the supplementary motor area (from the rostral part) and to the primary motor cortex (from the caudal part).
Guehl
D
D
Laboratoire de Neurophysiologie, UMR CNRS 5543, Université Victor Segalen, 146, rue Léo Saignat 33076 Bordeaux, France.
Burbaud
P
P
Boraud
T
T
Bioulac
B
B
D000818:Animals; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004421:Dystonia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004576:Electromyography / Q000187:drug effects; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D020647:Lateral Thalamic Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D009068:Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D020651:Ventral Thalamic Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
D018756:GABA Antagonists; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D001640:Bicuculline