Summary
the 2014 International Symposium on Nonlinear Theory and its Applications
2014
Session Number:D3L-A
Session:
Number:D3L-A2
Alterations of the neural code in Parkinson's disease: a GPi simulation study
Daniela S. Andres, Florian Gomez, Ruedi Stoop,
pp.823-826
Publication Date:2014/9/14
Online ISSN:2188-5079
Summary:
Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder characterized by alterations in the neuronal activity of the Basal Ganglia. In healthy conditions, neurons of the Globus Pallidus pars interna (GPi - one of the main output centers of the Basal Ganglia network) use at least partly a rate-code to transmit information to the motor cortex. Applying a temporal structure function analysis, we measured the rate-coding window in single Globus Pallidus pars interna (GPi) neurons of the 6-OHDA rat model of Parkinson's disease at different degrees of alertness, and compared it to non-parkinsonian control neurons. We found that the temporal range of rate-coded information in GPi neurons was substantially reduced in the parkinsonian case. Making use of a network of coupled non-linear neurons, we model the GPi and show that the rate-code loss can be attributed to an increase in the small neighborhood coupling strength.