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Subthalamic nucleus stimulation affects limbic and associative circuits: a PET study

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European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Although high-frequency deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN DBS) improves motor symptoms in advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD), clinical studies have reported cognitive, motivational and emotional changes. These results suggest that the STN forms part of a broadly distributed neural network encompassing the associative and limbic circuits. We sought to pinpoint the cortical and subcortical brain areas modulated by STN DBS, in order to assess the STN’s functional role and explain neuropsychological modifications following STN DBS in PD.

Methods

We studied resting state glucose metabolism in 20 PD patients before and after STN DBS and 13 age-matched healthy controls using 18F-FDG PET. We used statistical analysis (SPM2) first to compare pre-stimulation metabolism in PD patients with metabolism in healthy controls, then to study metabolic modifications in PD patients following STN DBS.

Results

The first analysis revealed no pre-stimulation metabolic abnormalities in associative or limbic circuitry. After STN DBS, metabolic modifications were found in several regions known for their involvement in the limbic and associative circuits.

Conclusion

These metabolic results confirm the STN’s central role in associative and limbic basal ganglia circuits. They will provide information for working hypotheses for future studies investigating neuropsychological changes and metabolic modifications related to STN DBS, with a view to improving our knowledge of this structure’s functional role.

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Abbreviations

DBS:

Deep brain stimulation

STN:

Subthalamic nucleus

PD:

Parkinson’s disease

RFE:

Recognition of facial expressions

OFC:

Orbitofrontal cortex

ACC:

Anterior cingulate cortex

LED:

Levodopa equivalent dose

PET:

Positron emission tomography

SPM:

Statistical parametric mapping

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Centre Eugène Marquis, rue de la Bataille Flandres Dunkerque, 35042, Rennes, France

    Florence Le Jeune & Etienne Garin

  2. Unité de Recherche Universitaire “Comportement et Noyaux Gris Centraux”, Université Rennes 1, Hôpital Pontchaillou, CHU de Rennes, rue Henri Le Guilloux, 35033, Rennes, France

    Florence Le Jeune, Julie Péron, Sophie Drapier, Claire Haegelen, Bruno Millet & Marc Vérin

  3. Clinique Neurologique, Hôpital Pontchaillou, CHU de Rennes, rue Henri Le Guilloux, 35033, Rennes, France

    Julie Péron, Sophie Drapier & Marc Vérin

  4. Neuroscience of Emotion and Affective Dynamics, Department of Psychology and Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland

    Julie Péron & Didier Grandjean

  5. S.H.U. Psychiatrie Adulte, CH Guillaume Régnier, 108 avenue du Général Leclerc, 35703, Rennes, France

    Bruno Millet

  6. Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital Pontchaillou, CHU de Rennes, rue Henri Le Guilloux, 35033, Rennes, France

    Claire Haegelen

  7. Service Médecine Nucléaire, Centre Eugene Marquis, Bd Flandres Dunkerque, 35042, Rennes, France

    Florence Le Jeune

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  1. Florence Le Jeune
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  2. Julie Péron
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Correspondence to Florence Le Jeune.

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Le Jeune, F., Péron, J., Grandjean, D. et al. Subthalamic nucleus stimulation affects limbic and associative circuits: a PET study. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 37, 1512–1520 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-010-1436-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-010-1436-y

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