Effects of High-frequency Stimulation in the Internal Globus Pallidus on the Activity of Thalamic Neurons in the Awake Monkey

The reduction in symptoms of Parkinson's disease produced by high-frequency stimulation (HFS) in the internal globus pallidus (GPi) has been proposed to be due to stimulus-induced inactivation of pallidal neurons and resulting disinhibition of thalamic neurons. We tested this in awake Macaca fascicularis by stimulating between pairs of electrodes inserted into GPi under electrophysiological control and recording the responses evoked in thalamic neurons. HFS produced a reduction, not an increase, in discharge frequency during the stimulus train in 77% of the responsive thalamic neurons. Only 16% of the responsive cells showed an increase in discharge during stimulation and, for some of these, stimulation at a similar intensity produced contralateral muscle contraction, a probable sign of current spread to the internal capsule. The few thalamic neurons studied during bursting had a reduction in burst frequency and duration during HFS. We conclude that high-frequency stimulation within GPi does not necessarily facilitate thalamic discharge, and it may act, instead, to interrupt abnormal patterns of thalamic discharge associated with parkinsonian symptoms.