Modulations on cortical oscillations by subthalamic deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson disease: A MEG study.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to explore the modification to cortical oscillations of Parkinson disease (PD) patients by subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN DBS).

METHODS: With Magnetoencephalogram (MEG) detection, we examined the changes in absolute power spectrum of cortical oscillations in the PD patients with the treatment of STN DBS.

RESULTS: The power analysis of PD patients showed a dominant over-synchronization of alpha and beta bands in temporal and occipital areas relative to the healthy control subjects. STN DBS on-state showed marked power increase in the gamma band of PD patients in the frontal and parietal relative to the DBS off-state. The alleviation of motor symptoms by STN DBS negatively correlated to the increase of high gamma oscillation in the right frontal cortex, and also correlated to the suppression of the alpha and beta oscillations in the right temporal cortex.

CONCLUSION: The treatment of STN DBS to PD patients might involve the augmentation of gamma activity and suppression of alpha and beta activities in cortical oscillations.