title: Subthalamic nucleus modulates social and anxogenic-like behaviors.
abstract: In Parkinson's disease, global social maladjustment and anxiety are frequent after subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation and are generally considered to be linked with sociofamilial alterations induced by the motor effects of stimulation. We hypothesized that the STN is per se involved in these changes and aimed to explore the role of STN in social and anxogenic-like behaviors using an animal model. Nineteen male Wistar rats with bilateral lesions of the STN were compared with 26 sham-lesioned rats by synchronizing an ethological approach based upon direct observation of social behaviors and a standardized approach, the elevated plus maze (EPM). Comparisons between groups were performed by a Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test. Lesioned rats showed impairments in their social (P=0.05) and aggressive behaviors with a diminution of attacking (P=0.04) and chasing (P=0.06). In the EPM, concerning the open arms, the percentage of distance, time, inactive time, and entry were significantly decreased in lesioned rats (P=0.02, P=0.01, P=0.04, and P=0.05). The time spent in non-protected head dips was also diminished in the lesioned rats (P=0.01). These results strongly implicate the STN in social behavior and anxogenic-like behavior. In human, as DBS induces changes in the underlying dynamics of the stimulated brain networks, it could create an abnormal brain state in which anxiety and social behavior are altered. These results highlight another level of complexity of the behavioral changes after stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Université de Rennes 1, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Expérimentale et Clinique, Faculté de Médecine, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Reymann
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Naudet
authors.forename: Morgane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pihan
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saïkali
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laviolle
authors.forename: Danièle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bentué-Ferrer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Anxiety; Basal ganglia; EPM; Elevated Plus Maze; Lesion; PD; Parkinson's Disease; Rats; STN; Social behavior; SubThalamic Nucleus