Research focus
The external Globus Pallidus (GPe) is a central part of the Basal Ganglia (BG), a group of subcortical nuclei supporting motor control and involved in movement disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Sensory processing has been shown to be impaired at early stages of PD. The GPe has been studied mainly within the context of motor function and dysfunction, but the role of the GPe in sensory processing has not been demonstrated. Recently, the GPe has received attention due to its potential role in alleviating PD symptoms and the discovery of a new type of GPe cells projecting exclusively to the striatum, named arkypallidal cells.
Our group is studying the GPe with the focus on the arkypallidal cells. Previously, we have characterized the synaptic inputs to arkypallidal cells, aiding in understanding their integration to the BG circuit. We aim to unravel the role of the GPe arkypallidal cells in sensory processing in the parkinsonian BG and during deep brain stimulation (DBS). Our group uses in vivo whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in the GPe as our main technique to study arkypallidal cells in the intact brain.
We hope to fill a gap in our knowledge of BG function in health and disease with focus on the GPe and to provide tools and circuit understanding to improve diagnostics and treatment of PD.