CONy 2021 | The role of the indirect pathway in Parkinson’s disease

Lars Wojtecki, MD, PhD, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany, discusses the clinical relevance of the “NoGo”, or indirect pathway, of the basal ganglia in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The indirect pathway is involved in the suppression of unwanted movements. Dr Wojtecki argues that this is potentially more important than movement facilitated by the direct pathway in complicated motor movements such as walking, writing, and speaking. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is used to treat PD by interfering with the activity of neural structures such as the subthalamic nucleus. This leads to the disinhibition of the thalamus, thereby facilitating movement. DBS also allows us to better understand the more nuanced roles of the indirect pathway in motor and executive control. This interview was conducted during the virtual 2021 CONy meeting.