Diagnostic and prognostic implications of non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and homocysteine levels for cognitive impairment in thalamic infarction

BACKGROUND Patients with thalamic infarction experience abnormal blockages of multinuc-leated vessels,affecting the body and thereby the thalamus.Most patients with thalamic infarction have an adverse prognosis,which seriously affects their safety.Therefore,it is essential to analyze the independent risk factors that influence the prognosis of patients with thalamic infarction and develop corresponding preventive measures.AIM To explore the effect of non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(non-HDL-C)and Homocysteine(Hcy)levels in cognitive impairment in thalamic infarction.METHODS From March 2019 to March 2022,80 patients with thalamic infarction were divided into a group with cognitive impairment[Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA)score<26;35 patients]and a group with normal cognitive function(MoCA score of 26-30;45 patients)according to the MoCA score.In addition,50 healthy people in the same period were selected as the control group.A correlation between the non-HDL-C and Hcy levels and the MoCA score and receiver operating characteristic curve was observed,and the serum non-HDL-C and Hcy levels were analyzed for the diagnosis of cognitive impairment in patients with thalamic infarction.According to the Modified Rankin Scale(MRS)score,80 patients with thalamic infarction were divided into a good prognosis group(MRS score≤2)and a poor prognosis group(MRS score>2).RESULTS The non-HDL-C and Hcy levels were significantly higher in the group with cognitive impairment than in the group with normal cognitive function(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the non-HDL-C level between the control group and the group with normal cognitive function(P>0.05).The MoCA scores of the group with cognitive impairment were significantly lower than those of the group with normal cognitive function and the control group(P<0.05).There was a significant difference between the control group and the group with normal cognitive function(P<0.05).The non-HDL-C and Hcy levels were correlated with the MoCA score(P<0.05),cognitive impairment[areas under the curve(AUC)=0.709,95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.599-0.816],the non-HDL-C level,and could predict cognitive impairment in patients with thalamic infarction(AUC=0.738,95%CI:0.618-0.859).Hcy combined with non-HDL-C levels can predict cognitive impairment in patients with thalamic infarction(AUC=0.769,95%CI:0.721-0.895).RESULTS There were 50 patients in the good prognosis group and 30 patients in the poor prognosis group.Compared with the good prognosis group,in the poor prognosis group,the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score,non-HDL-C level,Hcy level,large-area cerebral infarction,atrial fibrillation,and activated partial prothrombin time were statistically significant(P<0.05).The non-HDL-C level,the Hcy level,the NIHSS score,extensive cerebral serum,and atrial fibrillation may all be independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with thalamic infarction(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Non-HDL-C and Hcy levels are positively correlated with cognitive impairment in patients with thalamic infarction.Non-HDL-C and Hcy levels can be used in the diagnosis of cognitive impairment in patients with thalamic infarction,and the combined detection effect is better.The main factors affecting the prognosis of patients with thalamic infarction are the non-HDL-C level,the Hcy level,the NIHSS score,large-area cerebral infarction,and atrial fibrillation.Clinically,corresponding preventive measures can be formulated based on the above factors to prevent poor prognosis and reduce mortality.

Proteomics of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus of rats with stress-induced gastric ulcer

BACKGROUND Stress-induced gastric ulcer(SGU) is one of the most common visceral complications after trauma. Restraint water-immersion stress(RWIS) can cause serious gastrointestinal dysfunction and has been widely used to study the pathogenesis of SGU to identify medications that can cure the disease. The mediodorsal thalamic nucleus(MD) is the centre integrating visceral and physical activity and contributes to SGU induced by RWIS. Hence, the role of the MD during RWIS needs to be studied.AIM To screen for differentially expressed proteins in the MD of the RWIS rats to further elucidate molecular mechanisms of SGU.METHODS Male Wistar rats were selected randomly and divided into two groups, namely, a control group and an RWIS group. Gastric mucosal lesions of the sacrificed rats were measured using the erosion index and the proteomic profiles of the MD were generated through isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation(iTRAQ) coupled with two-dimensional liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Additionally, iTRAQ results were verified by Western blot analysis.RESULTS A total of 2853 proteins were identified, and these included 65 dysregulated(31 upregulated and 34 downregulated) proteins(fold change ratio ≥ 1.2). Gene Ontology(GO) analysis showed that most of the upregulated proteins are primarily related to cell division, whereas most of the downregulated proteins are related to neuron morphogenesis and neurotransmitter regulation. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed that the dysregulated proteins are mainly involved in the neurological disease signalling pathways. Furthermore, our results indicated that glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta might be related to the central mechanismthrough which RWIS gives rise to SGU.CONCLUSION Quantitative proteomic analysis elucidated the molecular targets associated with the production of SGU and provides insights into the role of the MD. The underlying molecular mechanisms need to be further dissected.

Lesions of mediodorsal thalamic nucleus reverse abnormal firing of the medial prefrontal cortex neurons in parkinsonian rats

The dysfunction of the medial prefrontal cortex is associated with affective disorders and non-motor features in Parkinson’s disease.However,the exact role of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus in the function of the prefrontal cortex remains unclear.To study the possible effects of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus on the neurological function of the medial prefrontal cortex,a model of Parkinson’s disease was established by injecting 8μg 6-hydroxydopamine into the substantia nigra compacta of rats.After 1 or 3 weeks,0.3μg ibotenic acid was injected into the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus of the midbrain.At 3 or 5 weeks after the initial injury,neuronal discharge in medial prefrontal cortex of rat brain was determined electrophysiologically.The numbers of dopamine-positive neurons and tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in substantia nigra compacta and ventral tegmental area were detected by immunohistochemical staining.Results demonstrated that after injury,the immunoreactivity of dopamine neurons and tyrosine hydroxylase decreased in the substantia nigra compacta and ventral tegmental areas of rats.Compared with normal medial prefrontal cortical neurons,at 3 and 5 weeks after substantia nigra compacta injury,the discharge frequency of pyramidal neurons increased and the discharge pattern of these neurons tended to be a burst-discharge,with an increased discharge interval.The discharge frequency of interneurons decreased and the discharge pattern also tended to be a burst-discharge,but the discharge interval was only higher at 3 weeks.At 3 weeks after the combined lesions,the discharge frequency,discharge pattern and discharge interval were restored to a normal level in pyramidal neurons and interneurons in medial prefrontal cortex.These findings have confirmed that mediodorsal thalamic nucleus is involved in regulating neuronal activities of the medial prefrontal cortex.The changes in the function of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus may be associated with the abnormal discharge activity of the medial prefrontal cortex neurons after substantia nigra compacta injury.All experimental procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Xi’an Jiaotong University,China(approval No.XJTULAC2017-067)on August 26,2017.

Rare coexistence of multiple manifestations secondary to thalamic hemorrhage:A case report

BACKGROUND A growing body of literature indicates that the occurrence of thalamic lesions could lead to various dysfunctions,such as somatosensory disturbances,hemiparesis,language deficits,and movement disorders.However,clinical cases describing the coexistence of these types of manifestations have not been reported.Herein,we report a patient who exhibited these rare complications secondary to thalamic hemorrhage.CASE SUMMARY A 53-year-old right-handed man experienced sudden left hemiparesis,numbness of the left side of body,and language alterations due to an acute hemorrhage located in the right basal ganglia and thalamus 18 mo ago.Approximately 17 mo after the onset of stroke,he exhibited rare complications including dysphasia,kinetic tremor confined to the left calf,and mirror movement of the left arm which are unique and interesting,and a follow-up computed tomography scan revealed an old hemorrhagic lesion in the right thalamus and posterior limb of the internal capsule.CONCLUSION Hypophonia may be a recognizable clinical sign of thalamus lesions;thalamus injury could cause tremor confined to the lower extremity and mimicking extremity movements.

Expression of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid 2A-B and 2B receptors in anterior thalamic nucleus and subiculum complex of rats

BACKGROUND：Glutamate acid ionotropic receptor N-methyl-D-aspartic acid （NMDA） takes part in long-term potentiation, thereby influencing the process of learning and memory. OBJECTIVE： To verify expression of NMDA 2A/B and 2B receptors in the anterior thalamic nucleus and subiculum complex of rats. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A single-sample observation was performed at Department of Anatomy in Dalian Medical University （Dalian, Liaoning, China） from April to September in 2007. MATERIALS： Ten adult Wistar rats were used for this study, as well as rabbit anti-NMDA 2A/B and 2B antibodies. METHODS： The rats were anesthetized and perfused, followed by brain resection and coronal sectioning of the brain tissue. A 1：3 series was selected for immunohistochemistry, using antibodies specific to NMDA 2A/B and 2B receptors. Photos were taken using the Nikon image analysis system. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Expression and distribution of immunohistochemistry staining of NMDA 2A/B and 2B receptor subunits. RESULTS： There were a large number of NMDA 2A/B and 2B receptor-positive neurons distributed throughout the anterior dorsal thalamic nucleus. In the anterior ventral thalamic nucleus, distribution of positive neurons was rare, staining intensity was lighter, and cell bodies were smaller compared with the anterior dorsal thalamic nucleus. In the subiculum complex, staining intensity of NMDA 2A/B and 2B-positive neurons was weakest in the molecular layer and stronger in the pyramidal layer, in particular the region with large cell bodies adjacent to the molecular layer. In the multiform layer, more positive neurons of various sizes were detected. CONCLUSION： NMDA 2A/B and 2B receptor subunits were richly distributed in the anterior thalamic nucleus, with a small difference existing between the anterior dorsal nucleus and anterior ventral nucleus. These neurons were also differentially distributed within the three layers of the subiculum complex.

Mechanisms of secondary damage to the thalamic nucleus and substantia nigra in an adult hypertensive rat model following middle cerebral artery occlusion

BACKGROUND： Following ischemia, apoptosis is observed at the ipsilateral ventropostenor thalamic nucleus and substantia nigra, which are distant from, but connected to, the ischemic cerebral cortex, in animals with normotension. However, secondary brain damage in hypertension has not been clearly investigated. OBJECTIVE： The present study determined whether neuronal apoptosis is associated with neuronal loss in the ipsilateral ventroposterior thalamic nucleus and substantia nigra following cortical ischemia in adult hypertensive rats. Results should provide options for determining a time window for anti-apoptotic therapy. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： All experimental procedures in this randomized, controlled trial were conducted at the Neurological Laboratory of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University of China between October 2006 and July 2008. MATERIALS： Monoclonal primary antibodies specific to mouse anti-rat microtubule-associated protein 2 and glial fibrillary acidic protein were respectively purchased from Sigma Chemical, USA and BD Pharmingen, USA. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end-labeling （TUNEL） detection kits were purchased from Roche Applied Science, Switzerland and Upstate, USA, respectively. METHODS： A total of 64 male, Sprague Dawiey rats, aged 60-90 days, were equally and randomly divided into middle cerebral artery occlusion and sham surgery groups. Renovascular hypertension was established in both groups by renal artery occlusion. Right distal middle cerebral artery occlusion was performed by electrocoagulation in the middle cerebral artery occlusion group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Microtubule-associated protein 2 and glial fibrillary acidic protein were detected by immunohistochemistry, and apoptotic cells were observed by TUNEL assay. The stainings were separately detected in the ipsilateral ventroposterior thalamic nucleus and substantia nigra. RESULTS： During the 4 weeks following distal middle cerebral artery occlusion in renovascular hypertensive rats, microtubule-associated protein 2 expression gradually, but significantly, decreased （P 〈 0.05）. Expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein increased significantly in the ipsilateral ventroposterior thalamic nucleus and substantia nigra （P 〈 0.05） and reached a peak at 4 weeks. In addition, number of apoptotic cells was significantly increased in both areas compared with the sham controls （P 〈 0.05）, with a peak at 2 weeks. CONCLUSION： Results suggested that neuronal loss in the ipsilateral ventroposterior thalamic nucleus and substantia nigra following distal middle cerebral artery occlusion in hypertensive rats could be a secondary event resulting from apoptosis. The temporal apoptosis profile provides options for determining a time window for anti-apoptotic therapy at 2 weeks after stroke.

Hemichorea due to ipsilateral thalamic infarction: A case report

BACKGROUND Hemichorea usually results from vascular lesions of the basal ganglia.Most often,the lesion is contralateral to the affected limb but rarely,it may be ipsilateral.The pathophysiology of ipsilateral hemichorea is still poorly understood.We review the literature on hemichorea due to ipsilateral cerebral infarction and explore possible mechanisms for its occurrence.CASE SUMMARY A 72-year-old woman presented with complaints of involuntary movements of the muscles of the left side of the face and mild weakness of the right limbs.Her symptoms had started suddenly 1 d earlier.After admission to the hospital,the involuntary movements spread to involve the left limbs also.Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a left thalamic infarction.The patient’s hemichorea subsided after treatment with haloperidol(2 mg per time,3 times/d)for 3 d;the hemiparesis resolved with rehabilitation physiotherapy.She is presently symptom free and on treatment for prevention of secondary stroke.We review the literature on the occurrence of ipsilateral hemichorea following thalamic infarction and discuss the possible pathomechanisms of this unusual presentation.CONCLUSION Ipsilateral hemichorea following a thalamic stroke is rare but it can be explained by structure of the extrapyramidal system.The thalamus is a relay station that exerts a bilateral control of motor function.

Behavioural and Neurophysiological Effects of a Stroke Rehabilitation Program on Emotional Processing in Tuberothalamic Infarct—Case Study

The aim of the study was to assess the neurophysiological and behavioural effects of a stroke rehabilitation involving Treatment As Usual (TAU) combined with Social Cognitive Training (SCT) in a right-handed patient suffered from tuberothalamic infarct compared to healthy controls (HCs) (n = 13). Methods: Both HCs and the patient were assessed by means of the following measures: Penn Emotion Perception Battery (ER40, EmoDiff40, PEAT40, PFMT), Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, and Toronto Alexithymia Scale alongside clinical scales (Mini Mental State Examination, The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Hamilton Depression Scale). The SCT was delivered individually for 60 minutes weekly in a 12-week program (12 sessions). The subject participated twice in a fMRI scanning session including the event-related task of implicit processing of 100% fearful expressions to detect physiological changes after TAU plus SCT and compared them with HCS who underwent the same assessment once. Results: Compared with HCs, the patient before therapy revealed lower scores in emotion recognition;particularly perception of anger was affected alongside worse performance on both emotion discrimination and acuity tests. After therapy, B.D. showed improvement in emotional processing. B.D. had less post-therapy activation maps compared with pretherapy ones and more significantly activated pre-and post-central gyrus and right cerebellum in response to fearful faces. Interestingly, no amygdala was significantly activated as the response to fearful stimuli before or after therapy was completed. Conclusions: Further research was needed to increase understanding about efficacy of SCT and the theory of neuroplasticity, thus helping rehabilitation programs.

A case of thalamic hemorrhage-induced diaschisis

Diaschisis refers to a disturbance （inhibition or facilitation） of function in an area remote from the site of a primary brain lesion. Previous studies have confirmed that regional cerebral blood flow and metabolism are noticeably decreased in an infarct region. Transient excessive perfusion appears in the ischemic penumbra, and diaschisis occurs in an area remote from the lesion site, showing decreased regional cerebral blood flow and metabolism. Mirror diaschisis refers to a decrease in oxygen metabolism and blood flow in the ＂mirror image area＂ to the infarct regions in the contralateral hemisphere. In this study, a patient with right thalamic hemorrhage was affected with right arm and leg numbness. At 4 months before onset, magnetic resonance imaging of the head demonstrated lacunar infarcts in the left thalamus; therefore the right arm and leg numbness was not associated with lacunar infarcts in the left thalamus. At 8 days following onset, magnetic resonance imaging reexamination did not reveal the focus that could induce right arm and leg numbness and weakness. Thus, it is suggested in this study that the onset of this disease can be explained by mirror diaschisis. That is, right thalamic hemorrhage leads to decreased blood flow and metabolic disturbance in the contralateral thalamus, resulting in right arm and leg numbness.

Significance of the Thalamic Reticular Nucleus GABAergic Neurons in Normal and Pathological Activity of the Brain

The relationship between neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) and relay neurons of the thalamic nuclei was studied. Activation of the TRN neurons was shown to abate activity of relay neurons. This evidence was obtained by stimulation of the TRN and the neocortex and, by introduction of small doses of nembutal as well. Suppression of the relay neuronal activity by the TRN neurons is supposed to occur monosynaptically. It has been also revealed that neuronal activity of the TRN enhances in a clonic phase of seizures generated by stimulation of the hippocampus and as soon as the electroencephalographic seizure reactions disappear. The suppression of limbic motor seizures is obviously related to the process of potentiation in GABAergic synapses of thalamocortical networks. Thus, stimulation of the TRN appears to be a rather valuable methodical tool that can open up prospects in the development of new “anticonvulsive” strategies in the treated of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Fine-tuning of cortical progenitor proliferation by thalamic afferents

During cerebral cortical cortex neurogenesis two major types of progenitors generate a variety of morphologically and functionally diverse projection neurons destined for the different cortical layers in non-gyrified mice. Radial glia cells （RGCs） undergo mitosis in the cortical ventricular zone and exhibit an apical-basal cell polarity, whereas non-polar intermediate progenitor cells （IPCs） divide basally in the subventricular zone （Franco and Muller, 2013; Taverna et al., 2014）.

Improved Visualization of the Anterior Thalamic Radiation in Bipolar Disorder by Diffusion Tensor Tractography

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a method for noninvasively measuring and imaging the diffusion of water molecules using MRI. Diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) can be used to presume macroscopic nerve fascicle distribution by determining, based on information obtained by DTI, whether the diffusion anisotropy vectors of adjacent voxels are continuous or not. We prepared a DTT map of the cerebral white matter nerve fascicles and investigated its usefulness for differentiation between Alzheimer’s disease and bipolar disorder (BD), a major depressive disorder, based on the nerve fiber depiction, in addition to the fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient values. We encountered two cases of BD in which the DTT image of the anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) improved following effective treatment with lamotrigine. Lamotrigine increases the synaptic strength due to its effect of promoting the traffic of the α-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor on the neuronal membrane. Downregulation of postsynaptic AMPA receptor expression can reportedly be observed during depressive episodes in BD. We consider that visualization of improvement of the ATR in response to treatment with lamotrigine (related to its pharmacological effect on the AMPA receptor) is valuable, as it suggests reversibility of the damage of the nerve fibers in this disease condition.

Evacuation of Spontaneous Thalamic and Intraventricular Hemorrhage under the Operating Microscope Improves Mortality Compared with External Ventricular Drainage——Mini-Cranioctomy for Thalamic and Ventricular Hemorrhage

We performed direct hematoma evacuation of thalamic and intraventricular hemorrhage using mini-craniotomy in recent years. The present study evaluated the outcome and complications in 18 patients with spontaneous thalamic and intraventricular hemorrhage treated by mini-craniotomy hematoma evacuation with external ventricular drainage and 24 patients treated by only external ventricular drainage. Patients treated by mini-craniotomy were less likely to require days of ventricular drainage settlement, had a less suffering meningitis, had good hematoma evacuation rate and had a less mortality rate compared with those undergoing only external ventricular drainage. Frontal mini-craniotomy microscope operation is a simple and effective method for hematoma evacuation that causes fewer complications.

Resection of thalamic gliomas via transcortico-ventriculo-choroidal approach

Objective To evaluate the effect of surgical treatment of thalamic gliomas via transcortico-ventriculo-choroidal approach. Methods 20 cases of thalamic gliomas were included in this group. The part of middle frontal gyrus was removed to get to the lateral ventricule and from there,according to the direction of the

Investigation of the treatment of 3 patients with thalamic abscesses and literatures review

Objective To investigate the effective treatment of abscesses in thalanmus. Methods 3 patients with solitary abscess in thalamus are analyzed retrospectively, who were treated from Sep. 2009 to Jul. 2010. There were one male and two female patients. One patient treated with stereotactic

The thalamic-primary auditory cortex circuit: a pathway to resilience in the face of stress and a potential target for depression treatment

Major depressive disorder(MDD),characterized by anhedonia,loss of motivation,behavioral despair,and cognitive abnormalities[1],stands as the second leading cause of disability worldwide[2]owing to its heightened prevalence,suicide rates,and recurrence[3].Empirical evidence and clinical observations have substantiated the notion that patients with MDD often exhibit compromised auditory perception[4].

Sleep and Cognitive Abnormalities in Acute Minor Thalamic Infarction

In order to characterize sleep and the cognitive patterns in patients with acute minor thalamic infarction （AMTI）, we enrolled 27 patients with AMTI and 12 mat- ched healthy individuals. Questionnaires about sleep and cognition as well as polysomnography （PSG） were performed on days 14 and 90 post-stroke. Compared to heal- thy controls, in patients with AMTI, hyposomnia was more prevalent; sleep architecture was disrupted as indicated by decreased sleep efficiency, increased sleep latency, and decreased non-rapid eye movement sleep stages 2 and 3; more sleep-related breathing disorders occurred; and cog- nitive functions were worse, especially memory. While sleep apnea and long-delay memory recovered to a large extent in the patients, other sleep and cognitive function deficit often persisted. Patients with AMTI are at an increased risk for hyposomnia, sleep structure disturbance, sleep apnea, and memory deficits. Although these abnormalities improved over time, the slow and incomplete improvement suggest that early management should be considered in these patients.

Endoscopic surgery for thalamic hemorrhage breaking into ventricles: Comparison of endoscopic surgery, minimally invasive hematoma puncture, and external ventricular drainage

Purpose:Thalamic hemorrhage breaking into ventricles(THBIV)is a devastating disease with high morbidity and mortality rates.Endoscopic surgery(ES)may improve outcomes,although there is no consensus on its superiority.We investigated the efficacy and safety of ES and compared the outcomes of different management strategies by ES,hematoma puncture and drainage(HPD),and external ventricular drainage(EVD)in patients with THBIV.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed patients with THBIV treated by ES,HPD,or EVD at our hospital from June 2015 to June 2018.Patients were categorized into anteromedial and posterolateral groups based on THBIV location,and then the two groups were further divided into ES,HPD,and EVD subgroups.Individualized surgical approach was adopted according to the location of the hematoma in the ES subgroups.Patient characteristics and surgical outcomes were investigated.Results:We analyzed 211 consecutive patients.There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics or incidence of perioperative procedure-related complications(postoperative rebleeding and intracranial infection)in either anteromedial or posterolateral groups.Compared with other therapeutic methods,the ES subgroups had the highest hematoma evacuation rate,shortest drainage time,and lowest incidence of chronic ventricular dilatation(all p<0.05).Among the three anteromedial subgroups,ES subgroup had the best clinical outcomes which was assessed by the modified Rankin Scale,followed by HPD and EVD subgroups(p<0.01);while in the posterolateral subgroups,clinical outcomes in the ES and HPD subgroups were similar and better than that in the EVD subgroup(p=0.037).Conclusion:Individualized surgical ES approach for removal of thalamic and ventricular hematomas is a minimally invasive,safe,and effective strategy for the treatment of THBIV with a thalamic hematoma volume of 10-30 mL.

Altered Local Field Potential Relationship Between the Parafascicular Thalamic Nucleus and Dorsal Striatum in Hemiparkinsonian Rats

The thalamostriatal pathway is implicated in Parkinson's disease(PD); however, PD-related changes in the relationship between oscillatory activity in the centromedian-parafascicular complex(CM/Pf, or the Pf in rodents) and the dorsal striatum(DS) remain unclear.Therefore, we simultaneously recorded local field potentials(LFPs) in both the Pf and DS of hemiparkinsonian and control rats during epochs of rest or treadmill walking. The dopamine-lesioned rats showed increased LFP power in the beta band(12 Hz–35 Hz) in the Pf and DS during both epochs, but decreased LFP power in the delta(0.5 Hz–3 Hz) band in the Pf during rest epochs and in the DS during both epochs, compared to control rats. In addition,exaggerated low gamma(35 Hz–70 Hz) oscillations after dopamine loss were restricted to the Pf regardless of the behavioral state. Furthermore, enhanced synchronization of LFP oscillations was found between the Pf and DS after the dopamine lesion. Significant increases occurred in the mean coherence in both theta(3 Hz–7 Hz) and beta bands,and a significant increase was also noted in the phase coherence in the beta band between the Pf and DS during rest epochs. During the treadmill walking epochs, significant increases were found in both the alpha(7 Hz–12 Hz)and beta bands for two coherence measures. Collectively,dramatic changes in the relative LFP power and coherence in the thalamostriatal pathway may underlie the dysfunction of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical network circuits in PD, contributing to some of the motor and non-motor symptoms of the disease.

Stimulation of Anterior Thalamic Nuclei Protects Against Seizures and Neuronal Apoptosis in Hippocampal CA3 Region of Kainic Acid-induced Epileptic Rats

Background：The antiepileptic effect of the anterior thalamic nuclei （ANT） stimulation has been demonstrated;however,its underlying mechanism remains unclear.The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic ANT stimulation on hippocampal neuron loss and apoptosis.Methods：Sixty-four rats were divided into four groups：The control group,the kainic acid （KA） group,the sham-deep brain stimulation （DBS） group,and the DBS group.KA was used to induce epilepsy.Seizure count and latency to the first spontaneous seizures were calculated.Nissl staining was used to analyze hippocampal neuronal loss.Polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were conducted to assess the expression of caspase-3 （Casp3）,B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl2）,and Bcl2-associated X protein （Box） in the hippocampal CA3 region.One-way analysis of variance was used to determine the differences between the four groups.Results：The latency to the first spontaneous seizures in the DBS group was significantly longer than that in the KA group （27.50 ± 8.05 vs.16.38 ± 7.25 days,P =0.0005）.The total seizure number in the DBS group was also significantly reduced （DBS vs.KA group：11.75 ± 6.80 vs.23.25 ± 7.72,P =0.0002）.Chronic ANT-DBS reduced neuronal loss in the hippocampal CA3 region （DBS vs.KA group：23.58 ± 6.34 vs.13.13 ± 4.00,P =0.0012）.After chronic DBS,the relative mRNA expression level of Casp3 was decreased （DBS vs.KA group：1.18 ± 0.37 vs.2.09 ± 0.46,P =0.0003）,and the relative mRNA expression level of Bcl2 was increased （DBS vs.KA group：0.92 ± 0.21 vs.0.48 ± 0.16,P =0.0004）.The protein expression levels of CASP3 （DBS vs.KA group：1.25 ± 0.26 vs.2.49 ± 0.38,P 〈 0.0001） and BAX （DBS vs.KA group：1.57 ± 0.49 vs.2.80 ± 0.63,P =0.0012） both declined in the DBS group whereas the protein expression level of BCL2 （DBS vs.KA group：0.78 ± 0.32 vs.0.36 ± 0.17,P =0.0086） increased in the DBS group.Conclusions：This study demonstrated that chronic ANT stimulation could exert a neuroprotective effect on hippocampal neurons.This neuroprotective effect is likely to be mediated by the inhibition of apoptosis in the epileptic hippocampus.