ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION In this era of incredible advances in molecular neurobiology, the understanding of the functional circuitry or physiology of the basal ganglia may seem quaint. Advances in the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) give hope that progressive neurodegeneration may be slowed, stopped, or even prevented. As long as there are patients disabled by symptoms, restoring the physiology is important, especially with the aging of the population and the increasing prevalence of those suffering from the disease. Although the resurgence of functional stereotactic surgery, both ablative and utilizing deep brain stimulaton (DBS), was fueled by improvement in surgical techniques such as image-based and microelectrode navigation, a justifying rationale based on better understanding of neuronal pathophysiology is important (1). Indeed, current theories of basal ganglia physiology and pathophysiology have been used to rationalize gene therapies in humans that target reversal of the excitatory output of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) (2).
