Thalamic Single Neuron Activity in Patients With Dystonia: Dystonia-Related Activity and Somatic Sensory Reorganization

Departments of 1 Neurosurgery and 2 Neurology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, 21287-7713; and 3 Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 Lenz, F. A., C. J. Jaeger, M. S. Seike, Y. C. Lin, S. G. Reich, M. R. DeLong, and J. L. Vitek. Thalamic Single Neuron Activity in Patients With Dystonia: Dystonia-Related Activity and Somatic Sensory Reorganization. J. Neurophysiol. 82: 2372-2392, 1999. Indirect evidence suggests that the thalamus contributes to abnormal movements occurring in patients with dystonia (dystonia patients). The present study tested the hypothesis that thalamic activity contributes to the dystonic movements that occur in such patients. During these movements, spectral analysis of electromyographic (EMG) signals in flexor and extensor muscles of the wrist and elbow exhibited peak EMG power in the lowest frequency band [0-0.78 Hz (mean: 0.39 Hz) dystonia frequency] for 60-85% of epochs studied during a pointing task. Normal controls showed low-frequency peaks for 2 ( P