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Thalamic neuronal activity correlated with essential tremor
1Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611-3008, USA.
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
|March 7, 1998
Summary
Essential tremor may involve thalamocortical pathways, not just olivocerebello-bulbospinal pathways. Thalamic neuron activity correlates with forearm EMG during tremor, suggesting the thalamus is key to essential tremor mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Movement Disorders
Background:
- Animal models implicate olivocerebello-bulbospinal pathways in tremor.
- Emerging evidence suggests thalamocortical pathways are involved in essential tremor (ET).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of thalamic activity in essential tremor.
- To analyze single neuron activity in the thalamus during tremor treatment.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of thalamic single neuron activity during thalamotomy for ET.
- Spectral cross-correlation analysis of thalamic activity and forearm electromyography (EMG).
Main Results:
- A significant, linear relationship was found between thalamic activity and forearm EMG during tremor.
- Tremor-related activity was identified at the lesion site that abolished ET.
Conclusions:
- The thalamus plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of essential tremor.
- Thalamocortical pathway involvement is supported by direct electrophysiological evidence in humans.