Brain Star - April 1, 2001
Recipient:
Education
University of Toronto B.Sc. 1996 Physics, Theoretical Physiology
University of Toronto Ph.D. present Neuroscience
Article: "High Frequency Synchronization of Neuronal Activity in the Subthalmic Nucleus of Parkinsonian Patients With Limb Tremor" by Levy et al. in The Journal of Neuroscience, October 15, 2000, 20(20):7766-7775
Significance of the Paper:
The cardinal symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) are akinesia, rigidity, and a 3-6 Hz limb tremor. Although akinesia and rigidity are well described by current animal models, the pathophysiology of tremor is unclear. It has been hypothesised that limb tremor is due to an increase in oscillatory synchronization of neuronal firing in the basal ganglia. The above paper describes work done in the subthalamic nucleus of the basal ganglia in awake parkinsonian patients during neurosurgery for the symptoms of PD. The novel method of simultaneous microelectrode recordings was performed using an apparatus created by the author, and allowed direct measurement of oscillatory synchronization. This paper demonstrated, for the first time in humans, that oscillatory synchronization in the basal ganglia at tremor-related frequencies and higher frequencies (15-30 Hz) may be associated with the pathology that gives rise to limb tremor in PD.
