Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Controlling Parkinson's Disease With Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation
11:12

Controlling Parkinson's Disease With Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation

Published on: July 16, 2014

Globus pallidus internus firing rate modification after motor-imagination in three Parkinson's disease patients

Ramón Leiguarda1, Daniel Cerquetti, Eduardo Tenca

  • 1Neuroscience Department, Raul Carrea Institute for Neurological Research (FLENI), Montañeses 2325, 1428, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Journal of Neural Transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996)
|March 13, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Imagining movement, or motor imagery, reduced neuron activity in the globus pallidus internus for Parkinson's disease patients. This supports the idea that the brain's motor pathways are involved in mental simulation.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Movement Science
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Motor imagery is hypothesized to engage similar neural mechanisms as actual movement execution.
  • Understanding the neural underpinnings of motor imagery can provide insights into motor control and disorders like Parkinson's disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural activity in the globus pallidus internus during motor imagery in Parkinson's disease patients.
  • To explore the role of the motor corticostriatal circuit in mental simulation.

Main Methods:

  • Extracellular microelectrode recordings were performed in three patients with Parkinson's disease undergoing posteroventral pallidotomy.
  • Patients were instructed to imagine a simple repetitive movement.

Main Results:

  • Imagining a simple repetitive movement led to a significant decrease in the firing rate of sensorimotor neurons in the globus pallidus internus.
  • This observed neural modulation suggests a functional engagement of the targeted brain region during motor imagery.

Conclusions:

  • The findings support the hypothesis that motor imagery involves shared neural processes with actual movement preparation.
  • The motor corticostriatal circuit appears to be involved in the neural computations underlying mental simulation, as evidenced by changes in globus pallidus internus activity.

More Related Videos

High-resolution Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods for Human Midbrain10:06

High-resolution Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods for Human Midbrain

Published on: May 10, 2012

Dynamic Digital Biomarkers of Motor and Cognitive Function in Parkinson's Disease10:28

Dynamic Digital Biomarkers of Motor and Cognitive Function in Parkinson's Disease

Published on: July 24, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Alterations in Muscle Tone lll01:11

Alterations in Muscle Tone lll

Rigidity and myotonia are distinct abnormalities of muscle tone that affect resistance and relaxation during movement. Although both involve altered muscle contraction, they arise from different neurological and muscular mechanisms.CharacteristicsRigidity is characterized by uniform resistance to passive movement across the entire range, independent of speed, affecting flexors and extensors equally. It may appear as lead-pipe rigidity (smooth, constant resistance) or cogwheel rigidity...
Parkinson's Disease: Treatment01:24

Parkinson's Disease: Treatment

Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), involve the gradual and irreversible destruction of neurons in particular brain areas. These disorders exhibit standard features like proteinopathies, selective vulnerability of some neurons, and an interaction of intrinsic properties, genetics, and environmental influences in neural injury.
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of its...
Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:24

Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting movement, with additional non-motor features. Its pathophysiology involves complex interactions among genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and cellular dysfunction, including dopaminergic neuron loss, protein aggregation, and mitochondrial impairment.Selective NeurodegenerationA key feature is the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to reduced...
Parkinson Disease l: Introduction01:24

Parkinson Disease l: Introduction

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects movement. It is characterized by motor symptoms such as resting tremors, muscle rigidity, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and postural instability. Patients may notice hand tremors at rest, stiffness during movement, or a shuffling gait. In addition to motor features, non-motor symptoms include sleep disturbances, mood and behavioral changes, constipation, and cognitive impairment, all of which...
Neural Regulation01:37

Neural Regulation

Digestion begins with a cephalic phase that prepares the digestive system to receive food. When our brain processes visual or olfactory information about food, it triggers impulses in the cranial nerves innervating the salivary glands and stomach to prepare for food.
Parkinson's Disease: Overview01:15

Parkinson's Disease: Overview

Neurodegenerative disorders are progressive diseases that cause irreversible damage and loss to neurons in specific brain areas. Examples of these disorders include Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These disorders share characteristics such as proteinopathies, selective neuronal vulnerability, and a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The primary therapeutic goal for these conditions is to...