High beta activity in the subthalamic nucleus and freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease

• Published in: Neurobiology of disease Vol. 64; pp. 60 - 65
• Main Authors: Toledo, Jon B, López-Azcárate, Jon, Garcia-Garcia, David, Guridi, Jorge, Valencia, Miguel, Artieda, Julio, Obeso, Jose, Alegre, Manuel, Rodriguez-Oroz, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Antiparkinson Agents - therapeutic use; Beta activity; Beta Rhythm - drug effects; Beta Rhythm - physiology; Cerebral Cortex - drug effects; Cerebral Cortex - physiopathology; Deep Brain Stimulation; Electroencephalography; Female; Freezing of gait; Gait Apraxia - drug therapy; Gait Apraxia - etiology; Gait Apraxia - physiopathology; Gait Apraxia - therapy; Humans; Implantable Neurostimulators; Levodopa - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Neural Pathways - drug effects; Neural Pathways - physiopathology; Neurology; Oscillatory activity; Parkinson Disease - complications; Parkinson Disease - drug therapy; Parkinson Disease - physiopathology; Parkinson Disease - therapy; Parkinson's disease; Subthalamic nucleus; Subthalamic Nucleus - drug effects; Subthalamic Nucleus - physiopathology; magnetic resonance; Parkinson's disease; STN; unified Parkinson's disease rating scale; SPECT; PPN; local field potential; DBS; Oscillatory activity; LFP; UPDRS; HM-PAO; computerized tomography; FOG; electroencephalography; MR; EEG; SMA; photon emission tomography; pedunculopontine nucleus; freezing of gait; deep brain stimulation; CT; supplementary motor area; Beta activity; PD; subthalamic nucleus; technetium-99m-hexamethyl-propyleneamine oxime; Freezing of gait; Subthalamic nucleus
• ISSN: 0969-9961; 1095-953X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2013.12.005

Abstract Objective Oscillatory activity in the beta band is increased in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Rigidity and bradykinesia are associated with the low-beta component (13–20 Hz) but the neurophysiological correlate of freezing of gait in PD has not been ascertained. Methods We evaluated the power and coherence of the low- and high-beta bands in the STN and cortex (EEG) of PD patients with (p-FOG) (n = 14) or without freezing of gait (n-FOG) (n = 8) in whom electrodes for chronic stimulation in the STN had been implanted for treatment with deep brain stimulation. Results p-FOG patients showed higher power in the high-beta band (F = 11.6, p = 0.002) that was significantly reduced after l -dopa administration along with suppression of FOG (F = 4.6, p = 0.042). High-beta cortico-STN coherence was maximal for midline cortical EEG electrodes, whereas the low-beta band was maximal for lateral electrodes ( χ2 = 20.60, p < 0.0001). Conclusions The association between freezing of gait, high-beta STN oscillations and cortico-STN coherence suggests that this oscillatory activity might interfere in the frontal cortex–basal ganglia networks, thereby participating in the pathophysiology of FOG in PD.