Deep Brain Stimulation for Stroke: Continuous Stimulation of the Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus has no Impact on Skilled Walking in Rats After Photothrombotic Stroke

Title:Deep Brain Stimulation for Stroke: Continuous Stimulation of the Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus has no Impact on Skilled Walking in Rats After Photothrombotic Stroke

Volume: 17 Issue: 5

Author(s): Arne Bohr, Michael K. Schuhmann, Lena Papp, Jens Volkmann and Felix Fluri*

Affiliation:

• Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg,Germany

Keywords: Deep brain stimulation, pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus, mesencephalic locomotor region, photothrombotic stroke, gait restoration, Beam-Walking-Test, Ladder-Rung-Walking-Test.

Abstract:

Background: Gait impairment after stroke is considered as a loss of cerebral function but is also the result of dysfunctional cerebral signals travelling to the spinal motor centres. A therapeutic option to restore disturbed cerebral network activity is deep brain stimulation (DBS).

Methods: A promising target for neuromodulation might be the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg), which contributes to the initiation and control of gait. To test this hypothesis, we trained eighteen rats to cross a horizontal ladder and a wooden beam before inflicting a photothrombosis in the right sensorimotor cortex and implanting a stimulating electrode in the ipsilateral PPTg.

Results: Continuous high-frequency DBS (130 Hz; amplitude 55 ± 5 μA) of rats for 10 days yielded no significant improvement of skilled walking when examined with the ladder rung walking test and beam walking test compared to sham-stimulation.

Conclusion: In contrast to DBS of the cuneiform nucleus, PPTg-stimulation improves neither control of gait nor balance after stroke.

Cite this article as:

Bohr Arne, Schuhmann K. Michael , Papp Lena , Volkmann Jens and Fluri Felix *, Deep Brain Stimulation for Stroke: Continuous Stimulation of the Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus has no Impact on Skilled Walking in Rats After Photothrombotic Stroke, Current Neurovascular Research 2020; 17 (5) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1567202617666201201141046