Objective: To investigate an ocular motor role for the STN in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.
Methods: Potentials were recorded from deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes implanted in the vicinity of STN in five PD patients, while patients simultaneously performed visually cued saccades, self-paced saccades and in two patients self-paced wrist extensions.
Results: Premovement potentials related to visually cued saccades were found in 4/5 patients and 56% (5/9) of potentials showed phase reversal indicating a local generator. Onsets of these potentials began closer to saccade initiation from STN contacts (0.88+/-0.30s) than thalamic ones (1.39+/-0.28 s). Self-paced saccade-related potentials were found in 4/4 patients. Self-paced saccade potential onsets (1.82+/-0.88 s) were not different from self-paced wrist extension onsets (1.27+/-0.98 s), suggesting a non-specific mechanism could be responsible for both potentials. 50% (3/6) of potentials to self-paced saccades and 66% (2/3) of potentials to self-paced wrist extensions showed phase reversal. Potentials could be found either ipsilaterally or contralaterally with respect to saccade direction.
Conclusions: These subcortical premovement potentials to saccades are similar to Bereitschaftspotentials and contingent negative variations to limb movements recorded in cortical and subcortical regions.
Significance: These studies further support a role of STN in ocular motor control and suggest a common mechanism of motor preparation for both eye and limb movements in the basal ganglia.