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Intra-Operative Behavioral Tasks in Awake Humans Undergoing Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery
Published on: January 6, 2011
Human subthalamic neuron spiking exhibits subtle responses to sedatives
M Bruce Maciver1, Helen M Bronte-Stewart, Jamie M Henderson
1Department of Anesthesia, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA. maciver@stanford.edu
Anesthesiology
|June 25, 2011
Summary
Propofol and remifentanil cause minimal changes in subthalamic neuron activity during deep brain stimulation surgery. These anesthetic effects should not interfere with mapping targeted neurons for implantation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Anesthesiology
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Microelectrode recordings map neurons during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery.
- Investigating anesthetic effects on subthalamic neurons is crucial for DBS procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if propofol or remifentanil alter subthalamic neuron discharge activity.
- To assess the impact of these anesthetics on neuronal mapping during DBS surgery.
Main Methods:
- Recorded subthalamic neuron activity in 11 patients before and after anesthetic administration.
- Analyzed neuronal discharge patterns using joint-interval analysis.
- Investigated cellular effects in rat brain slices using patch-clamp recordings.
Main Results:
- Propofol caused minor changes (<2.0%) in discharge frequency but prolonged recurrent inhibition.
- Remifentanil had minimal effects on discharge activity and did not prolong inhibition.
- In vitro, propofol prolonged inhibitory synaptic currents but did not affect membrane properties or firing.
Conclusions:
- Propofol and remifentanil minimally alter subthalamic neuron activity.
- These anesthetics are unlikely to interfere with accurate neuronal targeting in DBS surgery.
- Characterizes circuit properties and feedback inhibition of subthalamic neurons.
