Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 28, 2026

A Novel Approach to Assess Motor Outcome of Deep Brain Stimulation Effects in the Hemiparkinsonian Rat: Staircase and Cylinder Test
Published on: May 31, 2016
Deep cerebellar stimulation reduces ataxic motor symptoms in the shaker rat
Collin J Anderson1, Karla P Figueroa1, Alan D Dorval2
1Department of Neurology.
Objective:
Degenerative cerebellar ataxias (DCAs) affect up to 1 in 5,000 people worldwide, leading to incoordination, tremor, and falls. Loss of Purkinje cells, nearly universal across DCAs, dysregulates the dentatothalamocortical network. To address the paucity of treatment strategies, we developed an electrical stimulation-based therapy for DCAs targeting the dorsal dentate nucleus.
Methods:
We tested this therapeutic strategy in the Wistar Furth shaker rat model of Purkinje cell loss resulting in tremor and ataxia. We implanted shaker rats with stimulating electrodes targeted to the dorsal dentate nucleus and tested a spectrum of frequencies ranging from 4 to 180 Hz.
Results:
Stimulation at 30 Hz most effectively reduced motor symptoms. Stimulation frequencies >100 Hz, commonly used for parkinsonism and essential tremor, worsened incoordination, and frequencies within the tremor physiologic range may worsen tremor.
Interpretation:
Low-frequency deep cerebellar stimulation may provide a novel strategy for treating motor symptoms of degenerative cerebellar ataxias. Ann Neurol 2019;85:681-690.
Related Concept Videos
Motor Unit Stimulation
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Asthma-III: Symptoms and Complications
Classification of Asthma
Pleural Effusion II: Symptoms and Management
A pleural effusion is the abnormal collection of fluid between the parietal and visceral pleura layers of tissue that form the lining of the lungs and chest cavity. It can occur independently or due to surrounding parenchymal diseases, such as infection, malignancy, or inflammatory conditions.
Clinical Manifestations:
Reducing Line Loss
With a step-up transformer at the source, the voltage is increased, thereby reducing the current in the transmission lines since power loss in...

