title: "The little engine that could": voltage-dependent Na(+) channels and the subthalamic nucleus.
abstract: The most effective treatment for late-stage Parkinson's disease is to electrically stimulate the subthalamic nucleus (STN) at high frequencies. Why this strategy works is unclear. The work by Do and Bean shows that the Na channels in STN neurons have distinctive features--like resurgence--that regulate their spiking behavior, providing new insights into the mechanism of DBS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
authors.forename: D James
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Surmeier
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bevan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015222:Sodium Channels