Low frequency stimulation of the nucleus tegmenti pedunculopontini increases cortical metabolism in parkinsonian patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

To evaluate the effects of 25-Hz deep brain stimulation of the nucleus tegmenti pedunculopontini (PPTg) on brain metabolic activity.

METHODS

Six patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who had bilateral stereotactic implantation of PPTg at least 12 months prior to evaluation were included in our study. All underwent, in separate sessions, 18-FDG-PET in core assessment programme for intra-cerebral transplantation as well as motor evaluation [Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS)--Section III] and a battery of cognitive testing.

RESULTS

PPTg-ON (low bipolar contacts, 25 Hz) promoted a significant increase of glucose utilization in bilateral prefrontal areas including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, BA9), orbito-frontal cortex (BA47), anterior cingulate (BA 25-32), superior frontal gyrus (BA 10) and supramarginal gyrus (BA40); a significant increase of uptake and consumption of FDG also occurred in the left ventral striatum, left subgyral (BA 46), right insula (BA 13) and right superior temporal gyrus (BA 22). PPTg-ON was associated with a significant decrease of glucose utilization in the left cerebellar anterior lobe (culmen) and right cerebellar posterior lobe (declive). In the same patients, PPTg-ON improved delayed recall (P < 0.05) and executive functions whilst the UPDRS revealed a modest (-21%) and variable treatment effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Low frequency stimulation of PPTg, a sub-region of the pedunculopontine nucleus complex, causes a minor motor benefit but a peculiar profile of cognitive improvement associated with a significant increase in FDG consumption in both prefrontal areas and mono-lateral ventral striatum. These data are consistent with multiple limbic and/or associative domains modulated by PPTg stimulation in our patients with PD.