Finally, to ascertain whether PPN cholinergic projections to the thalamus contribute to the CNO-induced motor recovery seen in the current PD model, we measured c-Fos expression within neurons of the SNpc, as well as the ventrolateral (Vl) and ventromedial (Vm) thalamic subnuclei, with and without DREADD-based stimulation of PPN cholinergic neurons. This evidence concerns the gene FOS and Parkinson disease.