Chronic pedunculopontine nucleus stimulation restores functional connectivity : NeuroReport

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Chronic pedunculopontine nucleus stimulation restores functional connectivity

Schweder, Patrick M.b; Joint, Caroleb; Hansen, Peter C.c; Green, Alexander L.b; Quaghebeur, Gerardinea; Aziz, Tipu Z.b

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NeuroReport 21(17):p 1065-1068, December 8, 2010. | DOI: 10.1097/WNR.0b013e32833ce607

Abstract

The mechanisms of deep brain stimulation (DBS) are poorly understood. Earlier, high-frequency DBS has been thought to represent a depolarization block of the target area and low-frequency stimulation has been thought to ‘drive’ neuronal activity. We investigated the long-term effect of low-frequency DBS in a longitudinal imaging study of a patient who received bilateral pedunculopontine nucleus stimulation. We used the diffusion tensor imaging techniques including probabilistic tractography and topographic mapping to analyze long-term changes in connectivity with low-frequency DBS. Post-DBS connectivity analysis suggested a normalization of pathological pedunculopontine nucleus connectivity with DBS therapy. These findings may help elucidate the mechanisms of DBS, suggesting neuroplasticity involving a reorganization of target connectivity long term. This is the first reported case showing neuroimaging evidence of neuroplasticity after low-frequency DBS.

© 2010 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

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