Immunotoxin-mediated tract targeting in the primate brain: selective elimination of the cortico-subthalamic "hyperdirect" pathway.

ABSTRACT: Using a neuron-specific retrograde gene-transfer vector (NeuRet vector), we established immunotoxin (IT)-mediated tract targeting in the primate brain that allows ablation of a neuronal population constituting a particular pathway. Here, we attempted selective removal of the cortico-subthalamic "hyperdirect" pathway. In conjunction with the direct and indirect pathways, the hyperdirect pathway plays a crucial role in motor information processing in the basal ganglia. This pathway links the motor-related areas of the frontal lobe directly to the subthalamic nucleus (STN) without relay at the striatum. After electrical stimulation in the motor-related areas such as the supplementary motor area (SMA), triphasic responses consisting of an early excitation, an inhibition, and a late excitation

SUBMITTER: Inoue K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3382612 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature