Neuronal activity patterns in the ventral thalamus: Comparison between Parkinson's disease and cervical dystonia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to distinguish neuronal activity patterns in the human ventral thalamus and reveal common and disease-specific features in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and cervical dystonia (CD).

Methods: Single unit activity of neurons was recorded during microelectrode-guided thalamotomies. We classified neurons of surgical target and surrounding area into patterns and compared their characteristics and responsiveness to voluntary movement between PD and CD patients.