Current amplitude-dependent modulation of rotational behavior with GPi stimulation in the rodent model of Parkinson´s Disease

The globus pallidus interna (GPi) is the main output nucleus of the basal ganglia, the neural circuit involved in motor and cognitive performance which is impacted by Parkinson´s Disease (PD). Although deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the GPi is an effective treatment for the motor symptoms of PD in humans, the link between the stimulation signal space and the therapeutic benefits of DBS is not well understood. The rodent model of PD is useful for characterization of ameliorative DBS, though prior work focuses on the rodent model for DBS of the subthalamic nucleus (STN). This work investigates GPi-DBS in the rat model of PD under the framework of an amphetamine-induced rotational behavior. This work elucidates the relationship between stimulation current intensity and the motor effects of the dopaminergic lesion. Our results show that rotational behavior is modulated by the current intensity and validates GPi-DBS as a beneficial treatment of PD.