Objective
The proposed project is designed to investigate the implication and interaction of the basal ganglia (BG) and the cerebellum in different movement disorders. Beyond the role attributed to the BG in the pathophysiology of movement disorders, the cerebellum is also known to be involved in motor control and non-motor tasks such as mental imagery, sensory processing, planning, attention and language. However, the exact mechanisms such a control under normal and pathophysiological conditions are not clear. Studi es in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD) using positron emission tomography have suggested the implication and interaction of both the cortico-BG-thalamocortical loop and the cerebello-thalamocortical pathway in the pathophysiology of PD. Mor eover, compensatory mechanisms delaying the onset of PD symptoms are expected to reside in the cerebello-thalamocortical pathway. Beyond the implication of the cerebellum in the pathophysiology of PD, it has been reported that modifications in cerebellar a ctivity also occur in other movement disorders such as multiple system atrophy (MSA), dystonia, Huntington's disease (HD) and essential tremor. The objectives are (i) to understand the implication and interaction of BG and cerebellum in different movement disorders such as PD, MSA, dystonia and HD, (ii) to identify compensatory mechanisms residing in cerebello-thalamocortical pathways and (iii) to determine mechanisms of action of high frequency stimulation implicating BG and cerebellum. These objectives wi ll be achieved using complementary techniques (2-deoxyglucose activity, in situ hybridisation of different neuronal markers, microdialysis and HPLC). In the longer term, these techniques will be extended by extracellular multi¬ channel recordings and beha viour (motor and cognitive component tasks). The expected results will improve our pathophysiological comprehension of disabling movement disorders with high socio-#
Fields of science
Call for proposal
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-11
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Funding Scheme
ERG - Marie Curie actions-European Re-integration GrantsCoordinator
BERLIN
Germany