title: Multiple-time-scale framework for understanding the progression of Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Parkinson's disease is marked by neurodegenerative processes that affect the pattern of discharge of basal ganglia neurons. The main features observed in the parkinsonian globus pallidus pars interna (GPi), a subdomain of the basal ganglia that is involved in the regulation of voluntary movement, are pathologically increased and synchronized neuronal activity. How these changes affect the implemented neuronal code is not well understood. Our experimental temporal structure-function analysis shows that in parkinsonian animals the rate-coding window of GPi neurons needed for the proper performance of voluntary actions is reduced. The model of the GPi network that we develop and discuss here reveals indeed that the size of the rate-coding window shrinks as the network activity increases and is expanded if the coupling strength among the neurons is increased. This leads to the novel interpretation that the pathological neuronal synchronization in Parkinson's disease in the GPi is the result of a collective attempt to counterbalance the shrinking of the rate-coding window due to increased activity in GPi neurons.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland and Institute for Neurological Research Raul Carrea, Fleni Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Society in Science, The Branco-Weiss Fellowship, administered by ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Andres
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland and Physics Department, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil.
authors.forename: F A S
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.affiliation: Institute for Neurological Research Raul Carrea, Fleni Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cerquetti
authors.affiliation: Institute for Neurological Research Raul Carrea, Fleni Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Merello
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Viana
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stoop