Role of the human globus pallidus in tremorgenesis

The GPi is a nucleus that serves as an output of the basal ganglia; a collection of nuclei which function in selecting movements to be executed. Tremor is defined as an unintentional, rhythmic, sinusoidal contraction of body parts. Currently, no scientific consensus has been reached as to where in the brain tremor arises. Using microelectrode recordings in human patients with and without tremor, we discovered a sub-population of cells that are capable of being induced into a brief theta oscillation following microstimulation. However, we found that theta burst stimulation was incapable of inducing visible tremor when microstimulating in the GPi, Vim, or STN. We also found preliminary evidence that this theta oscillation is capable of producing an LTP-like response within the GPi. We believe that this work adds strength to the “pallidocentric” view of tremor initiation which holds that the GPi is responsible for the onset of tremor.