Prominent 3–12Hz activity in the subthalamic nucleus of a patient with generalized dystonia

• Published in: Klinische Neurophysiologie
• Main Authors: Huebl, J., Schoenecker, T., Schneider, G.H., Kühn, A.A.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English; German
• Published: 10.03.2011
• ISSN: 1434-0275; 1439-4081
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1272718

Introduction: There is growing evidence that synchronised activity across populations of neurons might underlie impairment in some diseases. Several studies have shown pathologically enhanced synchronous oscillatory activity within and between the basal ganglia and cerebral cortex in patients with Parkinson's disease that is prominent in the β frequency band (13–30Hz). Conversely, dystonia patients show enhanced synchrony at low frequency (4–12Hz) recorded from the globus pallidus internus suggesting disease specific distinct temporal patterns of synchronized neuronal activity recorded from the basal ganglia in those patients. Methods: To further elucidate disease-specific aspects of the synchronised activity we recorded local field potentials (LFPs) in a patient with severe generalized dystonia undergoing deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus (STN). LFP were recorded bipolarly from adjacent contact pairs of the STN-DBS electrode, filtered at 0.5–250Hz, amplified at 50.000 and registered through AD-converter using Spike 2 software. Post-operative imaging confirmed correct electrode placement with contacts 0 and 1 lying within STN on both sides. LFP power was analysed in the 4–12Hz and 13–30Hz band. Results: We found a single distinct peak at low frequency in the power spectra of each hemisphere with the maximum at 7.8Hz. There was no distinct power peak at β frequency. Correspondingly, power analyses in the two frequency bands of interest revealed a larger power for the 4–12Hz band. The largest peak at low frequency occurred at contact pair 12 in the right STN and 01 in the left STN. Conclusions: Here, we show for the first time LFP activity recorded from the STN in a single case with dystonia. Our data confirm that low frequency activity is enhanced in dystonia and further suggest that pathological synchronized activity shows a disease-specific pattern across basal ganglia nuclei. Enhanced 3–12Hz activity might be prominent within the entire cortex – basal ganglia loop in patients with dystonia.