Objective: To examine whether it is possible to modulate cortical beta oscillations with subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the beta range.

Background: Neuronal oscillations and motor symptoms are closely linked in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Recordings from PD patients typically show pathologically enhanced oscillations in the beta band (13-35 Hz) in the STN and other parts of the basal ganglia. These oscillations can be modulated by means of DBS, but whether and how DBS modulates cortical oscillatory activity remains a matter of investigation.

Method: We recorded resting-state magnetoencephalography (MEG) from 18 PD patients implanted with a DBS system in the medication ON state. We applied bipolar DBS at various frequencies in the beta range (10, 16, 20, 26, and 30 Hz) via the left electrode in a cyclic fashion, such that the stimulation turned on (5s) and off (3s) repeatedly. The pulse amplitude was set to 3 mA. Cyclic stimulation lasted 8 min for each frequency.

Results: We observed an increase of beta power during stimulation. The peak frequency of this modulation had no obvious relation to the stimulation frequency and was confined to sensors above sensorimotor regions in the stimulated (left) hemisphere, which is the region of the strongest resting-state synchrony between STN and cortical beta oscillations. This spatial pattern is distinct from DBS artifact topographies. Furthermore, the DBS-induced beta power increase was clearest when DBS was applied at frequencies ≥ 20 Hz.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that we can modulate cortical beta oscillations by means of STN DBS in the beta range. Thus, it seems that DBS might be suited to probe the causal role of cortical beta oscillations for behavior.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/subthalamic-nucleus-deep-brain-stimulation-in-the-beta-range-modulates-cortical-beta-oscillations-in-parkinsons-disease-patients/