title: What neurophysiological recordings tell us about cognitive and behavioral functions of the human subthalamic nucleus.
abstract: The behavioral implications of deep brain stimulation (DBS) observed in Parkinson's disease patients provided evidence for a possible nonexclusively motor role of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in basal ganglia circuitry. Basal ganglia pathophysiology can be studied directly by the analysis of neural rhythms measured in local field potentials recorded through DBS electrodes. Recent studies demonstrated that specific oscillations in the STN are involved in cognitive and behavioral information processing: action representation is mediated through β oscillations (13-35 Hz); cognitive information related to decision-making processes is mediated through the low-frequency oscillation (5-12 Hz); and limbic and emotional information is mediated through the α oscillation (8-12 Hz). These results revealed an important involvement of STN in decisional processes, cognitive functions, emotion control and conflict that could explain the post-DBS occurrence of behavioral disturbances.
authors.affiliation: Centro Clinico per la Neurostimolazione, le Neurotecnologie ed i Disordini del Movimento, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Milan, Italy. sara.marceglia@policlinico.mi.it
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marceglia
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Priori
mesh_terms: D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D006801:Humans; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology