Alternating modulation of subthalamic nucleus beta oscillations during stepping

Petra Fischer*, Chiung Chu Chen, Ya Ju Chang, Chien Hung Yeh, Alek Pogosyan, Damian M. Herz, Binith Cheeran, Alexander L. Green, Tipu Z. Aziz, Jonathan Hyam, Simon Little, Thomas Foltynie, Patricia Limousin, Ludvic Zrinzo, Harutomo Hasegawa, Michael Samuel, Keyoumars Ashkan, Peter Brown, Huiling Tan

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

67 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Gait disturbances in Parkinson’s disease are commonly refractory to current treatment options and majorly impair patient’s quality of life. Auditory cues facilitate gait and prevent motor blocks. We investigated how neural dynamics in the human subthalamic nucleus of Parkinsons’s disease patients (14 male, 2 female) vary during stepping and whether rhythmic auditory cues enhance the observed modulation. Oscillations in the beta band were suppressed after ipsilateral heel strikes, when the contralateral foot had to be raised, and reappeared after contralateral heel strikes, when the contralateral foot rested on the floor. The timing of this 20–30 Hz beta modulation was clearly distinct between the left and right subthalamic nucleus, and was alternating within each stepping cycle. This modulation was similar, whether stepping movements were made while sitting, standing, or during gait, confirming the utility of the stepping in place paradigm. During stepping in place, beta modulation increased with auditory cues that assisted patients in timing their steps more regularly. Our results suggest a link between the degree of power modulation within high beta frequency bands and stepping performance. These findings raise the possibility that alternating deep brain stimulation patterns may be superior to constant stimulation for improving parkinsonian gait.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5111-5121
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Neuroscience
Volume38
Issue number22
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 May 2018
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Auditory cueing
  • Beta modulation
  • Freezing of gait
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Stepping-related STN activity

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