Dr. Jerrold Vitek

There are several specific aims to this research:

• The first aim is to characterize changes that occur in motor cortex (MC) and supplementary motor area (SMA) neuronal activity in the Parkinsonian state and during deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the region of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) under resting, passive, and active movement conditions in the MPTP monkey model of Parkinson's disease (PD).
• The second aim is to characterize changes that occur in MC and SMA neuronal activity in the Parkinsonian state and during DBS in the region of the internal globus pallidus (GPi) under resting as well as passive and active movement conditions in the MPTP monkey model of PD and compare these changes to those that occur during STN DBS.
• The third aim is to characterize the evolution of changes in neuronal activity in both the ipsilateral and contralateral MC and SMA during chronic unilateral stimulation in the STN and GPi and correlate these to the corresponding changes in bradykinesia and rigidity that occur on each side of the body in the MPTP monkey model of PD.