title: Bilateral high-frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on attentional performance: transient deleterious effects and enhanced motivation in both intact and parkinsonian rats.
abstract: It is now well established that subthalamic nucleus high-frequency stimulation (STN HFS) alleviates motor problems in Parkinson's disease. However, its efficacy for cognitive function remains a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of STN HFS in rats performing a visual attentional task. Bilateral STN HFS was applied in intact and in bilaterally dopamine (DA)-depleted rats. In all animals, STN HFS had a transient debilitating effect on all the variables measured in the task. In DA-depleted rats, STN HFS did not alleviate the deficits induced by the DA lesion such as omissions and latency to make correct responses, but induced perseverative approaches to the food magazine, an indicator of enhanced motivation. In sham-operated controls, STN HFS significantly reduced accuracy and induced perseverative behaviour, mimicking partially the effects of bilateral STN lesions in the same task. These results are in line with the hypothesis that STN HFS only partially mimics inactivation of STN produced by lesioning and confirm the motivational exacerbation induced by STN inactivation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de la Cognition, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR6155 CNRS Université de Provence, Pôle 3C, Case C, 3 Place Victor Hugo, 13331 Marseille cedex 03, France. cbaunez@up.univ-mrs.fr
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baunez
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Christakou
authors.forename: Yogita
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chudasama
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Forni
authors.forename: Trevor W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Robbins
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000528:radiation effects*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000528:radiation effects; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000528:radiation effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D016627:Oxidopamine; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D016627:Oxidopamine