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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Mar 2.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Neurol. 2019 Mar;15(3):148–160. doi: 10.1038/s41582-018-0128-2

Table 3. use of animal models to understand brain circuits.

Indication Animal model Main contribution
Parkinson disease MPTP in non-human primate

  • Abnormal activity detected in the STN138

  • STN lesion improves motor dysfunction36,37

  • STN high-frequency stimulation improves motor dysfunction39
Epilepsy Pentylenetetrazol in guinea pigs and rats

  • Lesioning of the MMT ameliorates epilepsy40

  • Electrical stimulation of the ANT ameliorates epilepsy42
Huntington disease Transgenic rat model

  • Electrical stimulation of the GPe improves choreiform movements139
Compulsivity-related behaviour Polydipsia rat model

  • Electrical stimulation of the BNST effectively reduces compulsive-like behaviour140
Depression-like behaviour CMS rat model

  • Serotonin and BDNF are involved in the mood-related effects of electrical stimulation of VMPFC141

  • Electrical stimulation of different brain areas has differential influences on mood-related effects47

ANT, anterior nucleus of the thalamus; BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor; BNST, bed nucleus of stria terminalis; CMS, chronic mild stress; GPe, globus pallidus externus; MMT, mammillothalamic tract; MPTP, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; STN, subthalamic nucleus; VMPFC, ventromedial prefrontal cortex.