title: The Role of Anterior Nuclei of the Thalamus: A Subcortical Gate in Memory Processing: An Intracerebral Recording Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the involvement of the anterior nuclei of the thalamus (ANT) as compared to the involvement of the hippocampus in the processes of encoding and recognition during visual and verbal memory tasks.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied intracerebral recordings in patients with pharmacoresistent epilepsy who underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ANT with depth electrodes implanted bilaterally in the ANT and compared the results with epilepsy surgery candidates with depth electrodes implanted bilaterally in the hippocampus. We recorded the event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by the visual and verbal memory encoding and recognition tasks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  P300-like potentials were recorded in the hippocampus by visual and verbal memory encoding and recognition tasks and in the ANT by the visual encoding and visual and verbal recognition tasks. No significant ERPs were recorded during the verbal encoding task in the ANT. In the visual and verbal recognition tasks, the P300-like potentials in the ANT preceded the P300-like potentials in the hippocampus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ANT is a structure in the memory pathway that processes memory information before the hippocampus. We suggest that the ANT has a specific role in memory processes, especially memory recognition, and that memory disturbance should be considered in patients with ANT-DBS and in patients with ANT lesions. ANT is well positioned to serve as a subcortical gate for memory processing in cortical structures.
authors.affiliation: Central European Institute of Technology CEITEC, Brain and Mind Research Program, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology, St. Anne´s Teaching Hospital, Medical School of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Klára
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Štillová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Scientific Instruments, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jurák
authors.affiliation: Institute of Scientific Instruments, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chládek
authors.affiliation: Central European Institute of Technology CEITEC, Brain and Mind Research Program, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurosurgery, St. Anne´s Teaching Hospital, Medical School of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chrastina
authors.affiliation: Institute of Scientific Instruments, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Halámek
authors.affiliation: Central European Institute of Technology CEITEC, Brain and Mind Research Program, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology, St. Anne´s Teaching Hospital, Medical School of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bočková
authors.affiliation: Central European Institute of Technology CEITEC, Brain and Mind Research Program, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology, St. Anne´s Teaching Hospital, Medical School of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goldemundová
authors.affiliation: Central European Institute of Technology CEITEC, Brain and Mind Research Program, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurosurgery, St. Anne´s Teaching Hospital, Medical School of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Říha
authors.affiliation: Central European Institute of Technology CEITEC, Brain and Mind Research Program, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology, St. Anne´s Teaching Hospital, Medical School of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rektor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020643:Anterior Thalamic Nuclei / Q000503:physiopathology*; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged