ABSTRACT
The substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) receives a strong afferent input from the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and thus may also influence the control of epilepsy. The STN has typically a high frequency sustained tonic influence on the SNr. The substantia nigra pars reticulata receives a strong afferent input from the STN and thus may also influence the control of epilepsy. Prolonged scalp EEG recordings demonstrated sharp waves in three of the epilepsy patients. Positive sharp waves were recorded from the STN electrodes in close temporal relationship to the negative sharp waves recorded from the scalp electrodes overlying the frontal or temporal regions in the patients with intractable epilepsy. Placement of the STN electrodes and the recordings were performed according to a research protocol approved by the Institutional Review Board and all patients gave informed consent. The frequency of the spikes in the three patients with epilepsy was much higher than in the patient with Parkinson’s disease.
