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Synchronised spiking activity underlies phase amplitude coupling in the subthalamic nucleus of Parkinson's disease patients.

ABSTRACT: Both phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) and beta-bursts in the subthalamic nucleus have been significantly linked to symptom severity in Parkinson's disease (PD) in humans and emerged independently as competing biomarkers for closed-loop deep brain stimulation (DBS). However, the underlying nature of subthalamic PAC is poorly understood and its relationship with transient beta burst-events has not been investigated. To address this, we studied macro- and micro electrode recordings of local field potentials (LFPs) and single unit activity from 15 hemispheres in 10 PD patients undergoing DBS surgery. PAC between beta phase and high frequency oscillation (HFO) amplitude was compared to single unit firing rates, spike triggered averages, power spectral densities, inter spike intervals and phase-spike locking, and was studied in periods of beta-bursting. We found a significant synchronisation of spiking to HFOs and correlation of mean firing rates with HFO-amplitude when the latter was coupled to beta phase (i.e. in the presence of PAC). In the presence of PAC, single unit power spectra displayed peaks in the beta and HFO frequency range and the HFO frequency was correlated with that in the LFP. Furthermore, inter spike interval frequencies peaked in the same frequencies for which PAC was observed. Finally, PAC significantly increased with beta burst-duration. Our findings offer new insight in the pathology of Parkinson's disease by providing evidence that subthalamic PAC reflects the locking of spiking activity to network beta oscillations and that this coupling progressively increases with beta-burst duration. These findings suggest that beta-bursts capture periods of increased subthalamic input/output synchronisation in the beta frequency range and have important implications for therapeutic closed-loop DBS. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Identifying biomarkers for closed-loop deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become an increasingly important issue in Parkinson's Disease (PD) research. Two such biomarkers, phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) and beta-bursts, recorded from the implanted electrodes in subthalamic nucleus in PD patients, correlate with motor impairment. However, the physiological basis of PAC, and it relationship to beta bursts, is unclear. We provide multiple lines of evidence that PAC in the human STN reflects the locking of spiking activity to network beta oscillations and that this coupling progressively increases with the duration of beta-bursts. This suggests that beta-bursts capture increased subthalamic input/output synchronisation and provides new insights in PD pathology with direct implications for closed-loop DBS therapy strategies.

SUBMITTER: Meidahl AC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6545172 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Synchronised spiking activity underlies phase amplitude coupling in the subthalamic nucleus of Parkinson's disease patients.

Meidahl Anders Christian AC Moll Christian K E CKE van Wijk Bernadette C M BCM Gulberti Alessandro A Tinkhauser Gerd G Westphal Manfred M Engel Andreas K AK Hamel Wolfgang W Brown Peter P Sharott Andrew A

Neurobiology of disease 20190210

Both phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) and beta-bursts in the subthalamic nucleus have been significantly linked to symptom severity in Parkinson's disease (PD) in humans and emerged independently as competing biomarkers for closed-loop deep brain stimulation (DBS). However, the underlying nature of subthalamic PAC is poorly understood and its relationship with transient beta burst-events has not been investigated. To address this, we studied macro- and micro electrode recordings of local field pot ...[more]

PMID: 30753889

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Project description:Local field potential recordings made from the basal ganglia of patients undergoing deep brain stimulation have suggested that frequency specific activity is involved in determining the rate of force development and the peak force at the outset of a movement. However, the extent to which the basal ganglia might be involved in motor performance later on in a sustained contraction is less clear. We therefore recorded from the subthalamic nucleus region (STNr) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) as they made maximal voluntary grips. Relative to age-matched controls they had more rapid force decrement when contraction was meant to be sustained and prolonged release reaction time and slower rate of force offset when they were supposed to release the grip. These impairments were independent from medication status. Increased STNr power over 5-12 Hz (in the theta/alpha band) independently predicted better performance-reduced force decrement, shortened release reaction time and faster rate of force offset. In contrast, lower mean levels and progressive reduction of STNr power over 55-375 Hz (high gamma/high frequency) over the period when contraction was meant to be sustained were both strongly associated with greater force decrement over time. Higher power over 13-23 Hz (low beta) was associated with more rapid force decrement during the period when grip should have been sustained, and with a paradoxical shortening of the release reaction time. These observations suggest that STNr activities at 5-12 Hz and 55-375 Hz are necessary for optimal grip performance and that deficiencies of such activities lead to motor impairments. In contrast, increased levels of 13-25 Hz activity both promote force decrement and shorten the release reaction time, consistent with a role in antagonising (and terminating) voluntary movement. Frequency specific oscillatory activities in the STNr impact on motor performance from the beginning to the end of a voluntary grip.

Dataset Information

Synchronised spiking activity underlies phase amplitude coupling in the subthalamic nucleus of Parkinson's disease patients.

Publications

Synchronised spiking activity underlies phase amplitude coupling in the subthalamic nucleus of Parkinson's disease patients.

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