Sensory stimulation accelerates dopamine release in the basal ganglia.
We report herein the modulation of dopamine release in the basal ganglia during peripheral electrical stimulation in animals. The endogenous dopamine release during electrical stimulation was measured in anesthetized cats by positron emission tomography (PET) using the D2 receptor agonist [11C]-raclopride. Binding potential (BP) parametric maps were calculated using a simplified reference region model. The regional dopamine release evoked by electrical stimulation was estimated both by region of interest (ROI) analysis and statistical parametric mapping (SPM 99). Both ROI analysis and statistical parametric mapping showed significant release of endogenous dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and the striatum contralateral to the stimulated side as compared to the resting condition as well as the ipsilateral side. Accordingly, we suggest that the activity of the dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain projecting to the nucleus accumbens and the striatum is modulated by the input from the afferent nerves. This provides an in vivo evidence for the importance of the basal ganglia in the processing of peripheral information required for normal movement. This may also explain the clinically observed sensory system abnormalities in patients with movement disorders.
Human Brain Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin, Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
Manabu
M
Inoue
Yukinori
Y
Katsumi
Takuya
T
Hayashi
Takahiro
T
Mukai
Koichi
K
Ishizu
Kazuo
K
Hashikawa
Hideo
H
Saji
Hidenao
H
Fukuyama
D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002415:Cats; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D065127:Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005121:Extremities / Q000528:radiation effects; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D020891:Raclopride / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D065127:Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists; D020891:Raclopride; D004298:Dopamine