Beta-coupled high-frequency activity and beta-locked neuronal spiking in the subthalamic nucleus of Parkinson's disease

AI Yang, N Vanegas, C Lungu… - Journal of …, 2014 - Soc Neuroscience
Journal of Neuroscience, 2014Soc Neuroscience
Beta frequency (13–30 Hz) oscillatory activity in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of
Parkinson's disease (PD) has been shown to influence the temporal dynamics of high-
frequency oscillations (HFOs; 200–500 Hz) and single neurons, potentially compromising
the functional flexibility of the motor circuit. We examined these interactions by
simultaneously recording both local field potential and single-unit activity from the basal
ganglia of 15 patients with PD during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery of the bilateral …
Beta frequency (13–30 Hz) oscillatory activity in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been shown to influence the temporal dynamics of high-frequency oscillations (HFOs; 200–500 Hz) and single neurons, potentially compromising the functional flexibility of the motor circuit. We examined these interactions by simultaneously recording both local field potential and single-unit activity from the basal ganglia of 15 patients with PD during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery of the bilateral STN. Phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) in the STN was specific to beta phase and HFO amplitude, and this coupling was strongest at the dorsal STN border. We found higher beta-HFO PAC near DBS lead contacts that were clinically effective compared with the remaining non-effective contacts, indicating that PAC may be predictive of response to STN DBS. Neuronal spiking was locked to the phase of 8–30 Hz oscillations, and the spatial topography of spike-phase locking (SPL) was similar to that of PAC. Comparisons of PAC and SPL showed a lack of spatiotemporal correlations. Beta-coupled HFOs and field-locked neurons had different preferred phase angles and did not co-occur within the same cycle of the modulating oscillation. Our findings provide additional support that beta-HFO PAC may be central to the pathophysiology of PD and suggest that field-locked neurons alone are not sufficient for the emergence of beta-coupled HFOs.
Soc Neuroscience