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Authors & Affiliations
Feng Du, Maya Ketzef
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by the loss of dopamine in the basal ganglia (BG), particularly in the striatum, leading to aberrant activity patterns in BG neuronal circuits. The external globus pallidus (GPe) is a central nucleus in the BG and plays a pivotal role in the function of the indirect pathway. two populations of GPe cells were described, the prototypic and arkypallidal neurons, which are distinct developmentally, anatomically and electrophysiologically. Additionally, they have been shown to be involved in sensory processing, mediated by different input pathways. How dopamine depletion affects such processing is not known. We use in vivo whole cell patch clamp recordings in anesthetized mice to study the membrane properties of GPe neurons and examine their responses to whisker stimulation. Recorded neurons are labeled with biocytin, and identified by immunohistology following recordings. Dopamine innervation is depleted by unilateral injection of 6-OHDA into the medial forebrain bundle. Under physiological conditions, prototypic and arkypallidal neurons display distinct membrane properties and responses to sensory stimulation. Here we report alterations in these intrinsic properties and sensory responses in the dopamine depleted GPe. Understanding how the GPe circuitry is altered by dopamine depletion is essential for our understanding of PD and its potential treatment.