title: Lesions of the paraventricular thalamic nucleus attenuates prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex.
abstract: The paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) is a midline nucleus with strong connections to cortical and subcortical brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, nucleus accumbens and hippocampus and receives strong projections from brain stem nuclei. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is mediated and modulated by complex cortical and subcortical networks that are yet to be fully identified in detail. Here, we suggest that the PVT may be an important brain region for the modulation of PPI. In our study, the paraventricular thalamic nuclei of rats were electrolytically lesioned. Two weeks after the surgery, the PPI responses of the animals were monitored and recorded using measurements of acoustic startle reflex. Our results show that disruption of the PVT dramatically attenuated PPI at prepulse intensities of 74, 78 and 86dB compared to that in the sham lesion group. Thus, we suggest that the PVT may be an important part of the PPI network in the rat brain.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychopharmacology Application and Research Center (NPARC), Üsküdar University, İstanbul, Turkey; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Üsküdar University, İstanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: pinar.oz@uskudar.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Pınar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Öz
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychopharmacology Application and Research Center (NPARC), Üsküdar University, İstanbul, Turkey; Department of Psychology, Üsküdar University, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: F Duygu
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Kaya Yertutanol
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychopharmacology Application and Research Center (NPARC), Üsküdar University, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tayfun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gözler
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychopharmacology Application and Research Center (NPARC), Üsküdar University, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Özçetin
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychopharmacology Application and Research Center (NPARC), Üsküdar University, İstanbul, Turkey; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Üsküdar University, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: I Tayfun
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Uzbay
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D020644:Midline Thalamic Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D065808:Prepulse Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology*; D055139:Sensory Gating / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Lesion; Paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT); Prepulse inhibition (PPI); Schizophrenia