The characteristics of pallidal low-frequency and beta bursts could help implementing adaptive brain stimulation in the parkinsonian and dystonic internal globus pallidus
INTRODUCTION: Adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) has been applied in Parkinson’s
disease (PD), based on the presence of brief high-amplitude beta (13-35 Hz) oscillation bursts
in the subthalamic nucleus (STN), which correlate with symptom severity. Analogously,
average low-frequency (LF) oscillatory power (4-12 Hz) in the internal globus pallidus (GPi)
correlates with dystonic symptoms and might be a suitable physiomarker for aDBS in dystonia.
Characterization of pallidal bursts could facilitate the implementation of aDBS in the GPi of
PD and dystonia patients.
OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: We aimed to describe the bursting behaviour of LF and beta
oscillations in a cohort of five GPi-DBS PD patients and compare their amplitude and length
with a cohort of seven GPi-DBS dystonia, and six STN-DBS PD patients (n electrodes = 34).
Furthermore, we used the information obtained to set up aDBS and test it in the GPi of both a
dystonia and a PD patient (n=2), using either LF (dystonia) or beta oscillations (PD) asfeedback
signals.
RESULTS: LF and beta oscillations in the dystonic and parkinsonian GPi occur as phasic,
short-lived bursts, similarly to the parkinsonian STN. The amplitude profile of such bursts
however, differed significantly. Dystonia showed higher LF burst amplitudes, while PD
presented higher beta burst amplitudes. Burst characteristics in the parkinsonian GPi and STN
were similar. Furthermore, aDBS applied in the GPi was feasible and well tolerated in both
diseases.
CONCLUSION: Pallidal LF and beta burst amplitudes have different characteristics in PD and
dystonia. The presence of increased burst amplitudes could be employed as feedback for GPiaDBS