Striatonigral control of movement velocity in mice.
The basal ganglia have long been implicated in action initiation. Using three-dimensional motion capture, we quantified the effects of optogenetic stimulation of the striatonigral (direct) pathway on movement kinematics. We generated transgenic mice with channelrhodopsin-2 expression in striatal neurons that express the D1-like dopamine receptor. With optic fibres placed in the sensorimotor striatum, an area known to contain movement velocity-related single units, photo-stimulation reliably produced movements that could be precisely quantified with our motion capture programme. A single light pulse was sufficient to elicit movements with short latencies (< 30 ms). Increasing stimulation frequency increased movement speed, with a highly linear relationship. These findings support the hypothesis that the sensorimotor striatum is part of a velocity controller that controls rate of change in body configurations.
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Ryan A
RA
Bartholomew
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Haofang
H
Li
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Erin J
EJ
Gaidis
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Michelle
M
Stackmann
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Charles T
CT
Shoemaker
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Mark A
MA
Rossi
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.|Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.|Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Henry H
HH
Yin
D000818:Animals; D000075402:Channelrhodopsins; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009068:Movement; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D062308:Optogenetics; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
D000075402:Channelrhodopsins
Parkinson's disease; basal ganglia; dopamine; kinematics; movement; striatum