Department of Stereotactic Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
Department of Neurological Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.
BMC Neurosci. 2019 Apr 29;20(1):20. doi: 10.1186/s12868-019-0503-y.
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response, a measurement of sensorimotor gaiting, is modulated by monoaminergic, presumably dopaminergic neurotransmission. Disturbances of the dopaminergic system can cause deficient PPI as found in neuropsychiatric diseases. A target specific influence of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on PPI has been shown in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders. In the present study, three patients with early dementia of Alzheimer type underwent DBS of the median forebrain bundle (MFB) in a compassionate use program to maintain cognitive abilities. This provided us the unique possibility to investigate the effects of different stimulation conditions of DBS of the MFB on PPI in humans.
Separate analysis of each patient consistently showed a frequency dependent pattern with a DBS-induced increase of PPI at 60 Hz and unchanged PPI at 20 or 130 Hz, as compared to sham stimulation.
Our data demonstrate that electrical stimulation of the MFB modulates PPI in a frequency-dependent manner. PPI measurement could serve as a potential marker for optimization of DBS settings independent of the patient or the examiner.
听觉惊跳反应的预脉冲抑制（PPI），一种传感器运动步态的测量方法，受单胺能神经传递调节，可能与多巴胺能神经传递有关。多巴胺能系统的紊乱可导致神经精神疾病中发现的 PPI 不足。在神经精神疾病的动物模型中，已经显示深部脑刺激（DBS）对 PPI 有特定的靶向影响。在本研究中，三名早期阿尔茨海默病痴呆患者在同情使用计划中接受了中脑束（MFB）的 DBS，以维持认知能力。这为我们提供了一个独特的可能性，即在人类中研究 MFB 的 DBS 的不同刺激条件对 PPI 的影响。
对每位患者的单独分析均一致显示出一种频率依赖性模式，与假刺激相比，60 Hz 的 DBS 诱导 PPI 增加，而 20 Hz 或 130 Hz 的 PPI 不变。
我们的数据表明，MFB 的电刺激以频率依赖性方式调节 PPI。PPI 测量可以作为一种潜在的标志物，用于优化 DBS 设置，而不依赖于患者或检查者。
