Early impairment of thalamocortical circuit activity and coherence in a mouse model of Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric disturbances. There is no known cure for HD, but its progressive nature allows for early therapeutic intervention. Currently, much of the research has focused on the striatum, however, there is evidence suggesting that disruption of thalamocortical circuits could underlie some of the early symptoms of HD. Loss of both cortical pyramidal neurons (CPNs) and thalamic neurons occurs in HD patients, and cognitive, somatosensory, and attention deficits precede motor abnormalities. However, the role of thalamocortical pathways in HD progression has been understudied. Here, we measured single unit activity and local field potentials (LFPs) from electrode arrays implanted in the thalamus and primary motor cortex of 4–5 month-old male and female Q175 mice. We assessed neuronal activity under baseline conditions as well as during presentation of rewards delivered via actuation of an audible solenoid valve. HD mice showed a significantly delayed licking response to the reward stimulus. At the same time, neuronal activation to the reward was delayed in thalamic neurons, CPNs and fast-spiking cortical interneurons (FSIs) of HD mice. In addition, thalamocortical coherence increased at lower frequencies in HD relative to wildtype mice. Together, these data provide evidence that impaired cortical and thalamic responses to reward stimuli, and impaired thalamocortical coherence, may play an important early role in motor, cognitive, and learning deficits in HD patients.