Targeted disruption of supraspinal motor circuitry reveals a distributed network underlying Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)-like movements in the rat.

ABSTRACT: In this study we uncovered, through targeted ablation, a potential role for corticospinal, cerebello-rubro-spinal, and hypothalamic A11 dopaminergic systems in the development of restless legs syndrome (RLS)-like movements during sleep. Targeted lesions in select basal ganglia (BG) structures also revealed a major role for nigrostriatal dopamine, the striatum, and the external globus pallidus (GPe) in regulating RLS-like movements, in particular pallidocortical projections from the GPe to the motor cortex. We further showed that pramipexiole, a dopamine agonist used to treat human RLS, reduced RLS-like movements. Taken together, our data show that BG-cortico-spinal, cerebello-rubro-spinal and A11 descending projections all contribute to the suppression of motor activity during sleep and sl

SUBMITTER: Guo CN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5575019 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature