Oscillatory activity in the pedunculopontine area of patients with Parkinson's disease

• Published in: Experimental neurology Vol. 211; no. 1; pp. 59 - 66
• Main Authors: Androulidakis, Alexandros G., Mazzone, Paolo, Litvak, Vladimir, Penny, Will, Dileone, Michele, Doyle Gaynor, Louise M.F., Tisch, Stephen, Di Lazzaro, Vincenzo, Brown, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.05.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Alpha oscillations; Alpha Rhythm; Antiparkinson Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Deep brain stimulation; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Electroencephalography; Female; Functional Laterality - physiology; Humans; Levodopa - therapeutic use; Local field potentials; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Movement - physiology; Neurology; Parkinson Disease - drug therapy; Parkinson Disease - pathology; Parkinson Disease - physiopathology; Parkinson's disease; Pedunculopontine nucleus; Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus - drug effects; Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus - physiopathology; Psychomotor Performance - drug effects; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; GPi; Parkinson's disease; MRI; Deep brain stimulation; a.u; STN; Alpha oscillations; PPN; DBS; PD; Local field potentials; LFP; Pedunculopontine nucleus; UPDRS; Human; Nervous system diseases; Electrophysiology; Parkinson disease; Cerebral disorder; Central nervous system disease; Oscillation; Field potential; Degenerative disease; Extrapyramidal syndrome
• ISSN: 0014-4886; 1090-2430
• DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2008.01.002

The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) has recently been introduced as a new therapeutic target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD). In a recent case report it was demonstrated that alpha frequency oscillations appear in PPN after the administration of levodopa in PD, indicating a possible physiological role of these oscillations. Here we confirm this result and investigate the functional connectivity and reactivity of subcortical alpha activity by recording LFP activity from the PPN area and EEG in six patients with PD while at rest and in four of them while they performed ipsi- and contralateral self-paced joystick movements. Levodopa strongly promoted 7–11 Hz oscillatory synchronization in the region of PPN and coupling of this activity with similar activity in the cortical EEG. Such coupling was bidirectional. Moreover, the 7–11 Hz oscillatory synchronization in the PPN area increased about 3 s prior to self-paced movements, but only following levodopa treatment. These findings suggest that alpha oscillations in the PPN area may represent a physiological pattern of activity. The subcortical oscillations are coupled to cortical alpha activity and possibly allied to motor related attentional processes.