The pedunculopontine nucleus area: critical evaluation of interspecies differences relevant for its use as a target for deep brain stimulation

摘要

Recently, the pedunculopontine nucleus has been highlighted as a target for deep brain stimulation for the treatment of freezingnof postural instability and gait disorders in Parkinson’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. There is great controversy,nhowever, as to the exact location of the optimal site for stimulation. In this review, we give an overview of anatomy andnconnectivity of the pedunculopontine nucleus area in rats, cats, non-human primates and humans. Additionally, we report on thenbehavioural changes after chemical or electrical manipulation of the pedunculopontine nucleus. We discuss the relation tonadjacent regions of the pedunculopontine nucleus, such as the cuneiform nucleus and the subcuneiform nucleus, which togethernwith the pedunculopontine nucleus are the main areas of the mesencephalic locomotor region and play a major role in theninitiation of gait. This information is discussed with respect to the experimental designs used for research purposes directed tona better understanding of the circuitry pathway of the pedunculopontine nucleus in association with basal ganglia pathology,nand with respect to deep brain stimulation of the pedunculopontine nucleus area in humans.