ابوالفضل بابائي

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized not only by classical motor symptoms but also by a spectrum of cognitive an‎d affective–motivational impairments. In recent years, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has emerged as an effective neuromodulatory intervention for managing treatment-resistant symptoms. However, conventional DBS targets primarily address motor dysfunction an‎d often demonstrate limited efficacy in alleviating non-motor deficits. The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of deep brain stimulation of the parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus (Pf-DBS) in a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat model of Parkinson’s disease. Given the strategic network position of the Pf nucleus an‎d its extensive connections with the striatum, cortex, an‎d limbic structures, we hypothesized that stimulation of this region could simultaneously modulate motor an‎d non-motor dimensions of the disease. Following unilateral dopaminergic lesion induction, a stimulation electrode was implanted in the Pf nucleus, an‎d high-frequency electrical stimulation was applied. Behavioral assessments included motor performance tests, limb-use asymmetry measures, Novel Object Recognition (NOR) testing for cognitive eva‎luation, an‎d behavioral indices related to anxiety- an‎d anhedonia-like phenotypes. Statistical analyses revealed that Pf-DBS significantly improved selec‎ted motor parameters an‎d enhanced novel object preference compared to control conditions. Additionally, longitudinal weight monitoring as a general physiological indicator suggested partial functional recovery following stimulation. Importantly, individual-level analyses demonstrated heterogeneity in treatment response, indicating that baseline lesion severity may predict the magnitude of therapeutic benefit. These findings support a network-based perspective of Parkinson’s disease an‎d suggest that targeting the parafascicular nucleus as a thalamocortical control node may represent a complementary, multidimensional neuromodulatory strategy capable of modulating motor, cognitive, an‎d affective domains concurrently.

بيماري پاركينسون , تحريك عمقي مغز , تالاموس , مدولاسيون شبكه مغزي , پارافاسيكولار , مدلسازي بيماري پاركينسون

Parkinson Disease , Deep brain stimulation , 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model , Neuromodulation , Thalamocortical networks

Abolfazl Babaei

Abass Erfanian