Revealing a novel nociceptive network that links the subthalamic nucleus to pain processing

Valérie Sinniger (1) , Arnaud Pautrat , Marta Rolland (2) , Margaux Barthélémy (3) , Christelle Baunez (4) , Valé Rie Sinniger , Brigitte Piallat (5) , Marc Savasta (6) , Paul G. Overton (7) , Olivier David (8) , Véronique Coizet (9)

1 GESIND - Groupe d'Etude du Stress et des Interactions Neuro-Digestives
2 GIN - [GIN] Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences
3 UGA UFRM - Université Grenoble Alpes - UFR Médecine
4 INT - Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone
5 Neurosciences précliniques
6 Dynamique des Reseaux Neuronaux
7 Psychology Department
8 Mines Paris - PSL (École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris)
9 INSERM U836, équipe 10, Dynamique des réseaux neuronaux du mouvement

Pain is a prevalent symptom of Parkinson's disease, and is effectively treated by deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN). However, the link between pain and the STN remains unclear. In the present work, using in vivo electrophysiology in rats, we report that STN neurons exhibit complex tonic and phasic responses to noxious stimuli. We also show that nociception is altered following lesions of the STN, and characterize the role of the superior colliculus and the parabrachial nucleus in the transmission of nociceptive information to the STN, physiologically from both structures and anatomically in the case of the parabrachial nucleus. We show that STN nociceptive responses are abnormal in a rat model of PD, suggesting their dependence on the integrity of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. The STN-linked nociceptive network that we reveal is likely to be of considerable clinical importance in neurological diseases involving a dysfunction of the basal ganglia.

Domaines: Neurosciences; Neurobiologie; Psychologie et comportements; Pharmacologie

Valérie Sinniger, Arnaud Pautrat, Marta Rolland, Margaux Barthélémy, Christelle Baunez, et al.. Revealing a novel nociceptive network that links the subthalamic nucleus to pain processing. eLife, 2018, 7, ⟨10.7554/eLife.36607⟩. ⟨hal-02327384⟩