Representation of spontaneous movement by dopaminergic neurons is cell-type selective and disrupted in parkinsonism
Dodson PD., Dreyer JK., Jennings KA., Syed ECJ., Wade-Martins R., Cragg SJ., Bolam JP., Magill PJ.
Significance Deciphering the roles of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in the control of movement is critical not only for understanding of normal motor function but also for defining the basis of motor dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease. However the activity of these neurons generally has been considered to be unrelated to movement. Here we demonstrate that dopaminergic neurons signal the onset of spontaneous movement in a cell-type–selective manner and that these signals can be read out in transmitter and receptor activity dynamics in the striatum, one of their principal targets. Importantly, these movement-related signals were lost in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. Together, these data suggest that movement-related firing of dopaminergic neurons is important for precise motor control.