Cell-Specific Pallidal Intervention Induces Long-Lasting Motor Recovery in Dopamine Depleted Mice

The identification of distinct cell-types within the basal ganglia has played a critical role in our understanding of basal ganglia function and the treatment of neurological disorders. The external globus pallidus (GPe) is a key contributor to motor suppressing pathways in the basal ganglia, yet its neuronal heterogeneity has remained an untapped resource for therapeutic interventions. Here, we demonstrate that optogenetic interventions that dissociate the activity of two neuronal populations in the GPe – elevating the activity of PV-GPe neurons over that of Lhx6-GPe neurons – restores movement in dopamine depleted mice and attenuates pathological activity of basal ganglia output neurons for hours beyond stimulation. These results establish the utility of cell-specific interventions in the GPe to target functionally distinct pathways, with the potential to induce long-lasting recovery of movement despite the continued absence of dopamine.