Universität zu Köln

Heikenfeld, Carla, Mederos, Sara, Chen, Changwan, Korotkova, Tatiana, Schnitzler, Alfons ORCID: 0000-0002-6414-7939 and Ponomarenko, Alexey ORCID: 0000-0002-5185-0107 (2020). Prefrontal - subthalamic pathway supports action selection in a spatial working memory task. Sci Rep, 10 (1). LONDON: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. ISSN 2045-2322

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Abstract

Subthalamic nucleus (STN) is the main source of feed-forward excitation in the basal ganglia and a main target of therapeutic deep brain stimulation in movement disorders. Alleviation of motor symptoms during STN stimulation can be accompanied by deterioration of abilities to quickly choose between conflicting alternatives. Cortical afferents to the subthalamic region (ST), comprising STN and zona incerta (ZI), include projections from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), yet little is known about prefrontal-subthalamic coordination and its relevance for decision-making. Here we combined electrophysiological recordings with optogenetic manipulations of projections from mPFC to ST in mice as they performed a spatial working memory task (T-maze) or explored an elevated plus maze (anxiety test). We found that gamma oscillations (30-70Hz) are coordinated between mPFC and ST at theta (5-10Hz) and, less efficiently, at sub-theta (2-5Hz) frequencies. An optogenetic detuning of the theta/gamma cross-frequency coupling between the regions into sub-theta range impaired performance in the T-maze, yet did not affect anxiety-related behaviors in the elevated plus maze. Both detuning and inhibition of the mPFC-ST pathway led to repeated incorrect choices in the T-maze. These effects were not associated with changes of anxiety and motor activity measures. Our findings suggest that action selection in a cognitively demanding task crucially involves theta rhythmic coordination of gamma oscillatory signaling in the prefrontal-subthalamic pathway.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Heikenfeld, Carla UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Mederos, Sara UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Chen, Changwan UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Korotkova, Tatiana UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Schnitzler, Alfons UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-6414-7939 UNSPECIFIED Ponomarenko, Alexey UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-5185-0107 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-329061
DOI:	10.1038/s41598-020-67185-1
Journal or Publication Title:	Sci Rep
Volume:	10
Number:	1
Date:	2020
Publisher:	NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
Place of Publication:	LONDON
ISSN:	2045-2322
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language TOP-DOWN CONTROL; BASAL GANGLIA; GAMMA OSCILLATIONS; FRONTAL-CORTEX; RESPONSE-INHIBITION; NUCLEUS; NEURONS; RAT; STIMULATION; FREQUENCY Multiple languages Multidisciplinary Sciences Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/32906