[Historical view on the pathogenesis and surgical treatment of cervical dystonia]. / Istoriya izucheniya patogeneza i khirurgicheskogo lecheniya tservikal'noi distonii.

In the past few decades, approaches to surgical treatment of dystonia passed through paradigmatic shift. Intradural upper cervical anterior rhizotomy was replaced by selective peripheral denervation with lesser spectrum of side-effects. Such techniques as microvascular decompression of accessory nerve or spinal cord stimulation for cervical dystonia were abandoned due to lack of proven efficacy. Introducing globus pallidus interna (GPi) DBS in 1990's to treat all types of dystonia, including cervical dystonia, was a fundamental factor. With the growing body of knowledge on the pathophysiology of dystonia, GPi DBS appears to be the most expedient, effective and safe method with limited indications to peripheral destructive procedures.

Experimental demonstration of the third cyclotron harmonic excitation in technological gyrotron with delayed selective feedback.

The excitation and effective selection of modes at high harmonics of the cyclotron frequency are experimentally demonstrated using a delayed feedback into the gyrotron. The operation at the third cyclotron harmonic at the frequency of 40.5 GHz with the output power of 3 kW and efficiency 8% is observed in a continuous wave gyrotron with an oil-cooled magnet with a field of 0.5 T in the interaction space.

Control of sub-terahertz gyrotron frequency by modulation-anode voltage: Comparison of theoretical and experimental results.

This paper presents a comparison of simple self-consistent theory data and experimental results aimed to study the influence of the anode voltage on the frequency of the subterahertz gyrotron with the goal of frequency stabilization. Numerical simulations of the electron beam formation and beam-wave interaction in a 0.26 THz gyrotron are performed. The experimental dependence of the gyrotron frequency tuning on mod-anode voltage is in agreement with theoretical predictions.

First experimental tests of powerful 250 GHz gyrotron for future fusion research and collective Thomson scattering diagnostics.

A 250 GHz continuous-wave (CW) gyrotron has been developed at the IAP RAS jointly with GYCOM Ltd., as a prototype of the microwave source for the envisaged prospective nuclear fusion power plants (DEMO). The main applications of such a tube are electron cyclotron resonance heating and electron cyclotron resonance current drive of magnetically confined plasma as well as its diagnostics based on collective Thomson scattering in various reactors for controlled thermonuclear fusion (e.g., tokamaks and stellarators). The results of the preliminary experimental tests in a pulsed mode of operation are presented. The microwave power of up to 330 kW with an efficiency of 30% without collector depression was obtained. At an accelerating voltage of 55 kV and an electron beam current of 12.5 A (which corresponds to the design parameters for CW operation), the measured output power was about 200 kW. The TEM00 mode content evaluated at the tube output is not less than 98.6%.

[Unilateral posteroventral pallidotomy in the treatment of drug-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease]. / Odnostoronniaia posteroventral'naia pallidotomiia v lechenii lekarstvennykh diskinezii pri bolezni Parkinsona.

OBJECTIVE: to determine the efficacy of unilateral posteroventral pallidotomy (PVP) in the treatment of drug-induced dyskinesia (DID) in Parkinson's disease (PD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed surgical treatment of 14 patients with PD complicated by DID who underwent unilateral PVP at the Research Center of Neurology in the period between 2012 and 2015. The clinical type of DID was mainly represented by peak-dose choreoathetoid dyskinesia, more pronounced in the distal limbs, and predominantly unilateral. The severity of drug-induced dyskinesia was assessed on the UPDRS scale (part IV-A) before surgery and at 1 week and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: One week after pallidotomy, all of the 14 patients had a regression of contralateral dyskinesia by 68.3±9.7%; 50% of patients had a regression of ipsilateral dyskinesias by 43%, on average. In 50% of cases, the dose of levodopa was reduced by 15%, on average. On examination at 6 months after surgery, regression of contralateral dyskinesia was 55.7±8.8%, and the severity of ipsilateral DID returned to the preoperative level. The use of pallidotomy significantly improved the indicators of daily activity and quality of life of patients. There were no significant postoperative complications. Three patients had mild speech disorders in the form of dysarthria, which regressed 2-3 weeks after surgery.

[Dynamics of Brain Activity during Voluntary Movement: fMRI Study].

The use of event-related fMRI makes it possible to investigate spatio-temporal dynamics of cortical and subcortical human brain structures activity during voluntary movement performance in response to presentation of relevant verbal stimuli. The results of the study showed that voluntary movement was associated with higher contralateral brain activation in a number of areas: primary motor and somatosensory cortex, premotor cortex, supplementary motor area and insula with adjacent regions. Ipsilateral activation of the cerebellum also was observed. It should be emphasized that contralateral strio-pallidal complex and ventral thalamus showed significant response to motor tasks. Similarly, the dynamics of cortex and deep brain structures activation involving in the phasic and tonic components of voluntary movement was uncovered. We showed, in particular, the noticeable difference in brain activation between the right and left hand movement performance. The obtained results enable to enhance understanding of the role of deep brain structures in voluntary movement organization in human and motor control system as a whole.

[Typical Patterns of Neuronal Activity in Relay and Nonspecific Thalamic Nuclei in Patients with Spasmodic Torticollis].

Neuronal activity of 50 neurons in nonspecific (Rt, MD) and relay (Voi, Voa) thalamic nuclei was analyzed. Data were obtained by microelectrode technique during 14 stereotactic operations in patients with spasmodic torticollis. Application of Poincare maps and Gap-statistics allowed to reveal 3 main patterns of neuronal activity: irregular single spikes, low-threshold Ca(2+)-dependent rhythmic (3-5 Hz) bursts and combination of bursts and single spikes. In some cases, grouping (in Voi and Rt nuclei) and long burst (in Voa nucleus) patterns were observed. Grouping pattern consist of low-density groups of spikes with tendency to periodicity in range 1-1.5 Hz. Long burst pattern consist of long dense groups of spikes with random length and invariant interburst intervals. Main numerical estimations of 3 most spread patterns of neuronal activity were obtained by parametric analysis. In results, investigated thalamic nuclei significantly distinguished from each other by characteristics of burst activity but average firing rate of these nuclei hadn't significant differences. These data may be useful for functional identification of thalamic nuclei during stereotactic neurosurgery operation in patients with movement disorders.

Experimental tests of a 263 GHz gyrotron for spectroscopic applications and diagnostics of various media.

A 263 GHz continuous-wave (CW) gyrotron was developed at the IAP RAS for future applications as a microwave power source in Dynamic Nuclear Polarization / Nuclear magnetic resonance (DNP/NMR) spectrometers. A new experimental facility with a computerized control was built to test this and subsequent gyrotrons. We obtained the maximum CW power up to 1 kW in the 15 kV/0.4 A operation regime. The power about 10 W, which is sufficient for many spectroscopic applications, was realized in the low current 14 kV/0.02 A regime. The possibility of frequency tuning by variation of the coolant temperature about 4 MHz/1 °C was demonstrated. The spectral width of the gyrotron radiation was about 10(-6).

[Significance of local synchronization and oscillatory processes of thalamic neurons in goal-directed human behavior].

The time-frequency characteristics and interneuron interaction in the cell ensembles of non-specific (CM-Pf) and motor (Voi) thalamus were analyzed. Neuronal activity was registered by microelectrode technique during 18 stereotactic neurosurgery operations in spasmodic torticollis patients. The presentation of functionally significant verbal stimuli was accompanied by the emergence of short-term (0.5-1.5 s) local synchronization and stabilization of the oscillatory (3-6 Hz) activity in nearby neurons of nonspecific (CM-Pf) thalamus. These focuses of synchronized oscillatory neuronal activity were correlated with the moment of the greatest concentration of selective attention. Similar phenomenon of short-term synchronization was observed in the motor (Voi) and nonspecific (CM-Pf) thalamus of the human brain during the voluntary movements. Synchronization of neuronal activity occurred at the height of the motor act implementation, correlating with the maximum muscle tension, as well as in aftereffect of the voluntary movement. Overall, the findings suggest an important role of the local oscillations (3-6 Hz) and synchronization ofthalamic neurons in the mechanisms of relevant information transmission during goal-directed human behavior.

[Neuronal mechanisms of motor signal transmission in thalamic Voi nucleus in spasmodic torticollis patients].

Neural mechanisms of motor signal transmission in ventrooral (Voi) nucleus of motor thalamus during the realization-of voluntary and involuntary abnormal (dystonic) movements in patients with spasmodic torticollis were investigated by means of microelectrode technique. The high reactivity of the cellular Voi elements to various functional (mainly motor) tests was proved. Analysis of neuronal activity showed: (1) the difference of neural mechanisms of motor signal transmission in the realization of voluntary movement with and without the involvement of the pathological axial neck muscles, as well as passive and abnormal involuntary dystonic movements; (2) significance of sensory component in the mechanisms of sensorimotor interactions during realization of voluntary and involuntary dystonic head and neck movements, causing the activation of the axial neck muscles; (3) important role of the rhythmic and synchronized neuronal activity in motor signal transmission during the realization of active and passive movements. Participation of Voi nucleus in pathological mechanisms of spasmodic torticollis was shown. The data obtained can be used for identificatiori of Voi thalamic nucleus during stereotactic neurosurgical operations in patients with spasmodic torticollis for selection the optimum destruction (stimulation) target and reduction of postoperative effects.

[Neuronal mechanisms of voluntary and involuntary movements in parafascicular (CM-PF) thalamic complex in spasmodic torticollis patients].

Activity of 144 parafascicular CM-Pf thalamic neurons was studied and recorded by means of microelectrodes during 18 stereotactical neurosurgical operations in spasmodic torticollis patients. High reactivity of two previously classified neurons with single sporadic activity (A-type) and bursts of Ca2(+)-dependent activity (B-type) were found during verbally ordered voluntary movements. There are coordinated reciprocal activation-inhibition A-type and B-type neuronal responses at the stage of verbal command presentation and synergic activation responses on the high of movement and in the aftereffect. Voluntary movement realization was accompanied by short-term local synchronization and stabilization of oscillatory (3-5 Hz) neuronal activity. The neuronal response differences between voluntary movements with and without neck muscle exertion and involuntary pathological movements prove the CM-Pf involvement in the pathology of spasmodic torticollis desease.