title: A brain network model explaining tremor in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: This paper presents a novel model of tremor in Parkinson's disease (PD) based on extensive literature review as well as novel results stemming from functional stereotactic neurosurgery for the alleviation of tremor in PD. Specifically, evidence that suggests the basal ganglia induces PD tremor via excessive inhibitory output to the thalamus and altered firing patterns which in turn generate rhythmic bursting activity of thalamic cells is presented. Then, evidence that the thalamus generates PD tremor by facilitating the generation and consolidation of rhythmic bursting activity of neurons within its nuclei is also offered. Finally, evidence that the cerebellum may modulate characteristics of PD tremor by treating it as if it was a voluntary motor behavior is presented. Accordingly, the current paper proposes that PD tremor is induced by abnormal basal ganglia activity; it is generated by the thalamus, and modulated or reinforced by the cerebellum.
authors.affiliation: Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada; Laboratoire d'évaluation des Troubles du Mouvement, Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, Canada. Electronic address: duval.christian@uqam.ca.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duval
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'évaluation des Troubles du Mouvement, Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, Canada; Motion Analysis Laboratory, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US.
authors.forename: Jean-Francois
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Daneault
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Hutchison
authors.affiliation: Cone Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Abbas F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Sadikot
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Basal ganglia; Cerebellum; Oscillator; Parkinsonian; Tremor