Basal ganglia involvement in sensory and cognitive processing. A depth electrode CNV study in human subjects

Intracranial recordings were taken from the basal ganglia (BG) in order to explore the possible role of the BG in the cognitive processing of sensory information.

Ten patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy, who were candidates for epilepsy surgery, underwent intracranial recordings with depth electrodes. A frontal approach was used for the insertion of diagonal depth electrodes into the amygdalo-hippocampal complex (AH complex). These electrodes passed through the BG. The putamen was explored in 8 patients; the nucleus caudatus and pallidum were explored in two patients. The contingent negative variation (CNV) paradigm was tested using auditory warning stimuli and visual imperative stimuli followed by a hand flexion. The auditory and visual middle and late latency potentials evoked by the warning and imperative stimuli were analyzed.

(1) Auditory evoked potentials (EPs): the amplitude potential gradient was observed with latencies of (a) 150-195ms (9 patients); (b) 215-290ms (9 patients); and (c) 350-600ms (10 patients). Negative potentials, with latencies of 100 and 110ms were observed in two patients. (2) Visual EPs: (a) 160-195ms (9 patients); (b) 210-295ms (9 patients); and (c) 330-550ms (7 patients). Negative potentials with latencies between 100 and 120ms were observed in 4 patients. CNV was obtained from the BG in 8 patients; a phase reversal was observed twice.

(1) The BG generate middle and late latency EPs in a cognitive paradigm linked to the motor task. (2) The BG generate CNV. (3) The BG could play an integrative role in the processing of sensory, cognitive, and motor information.