An international team of neuroscientists and clinicians has identified a brain network and its characteristic electrical rhythm that appear to underlie the therapeutic effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease. The study, published in the journal Brain, combined simultaneous electrophysiological recordings and brain imaging to map the network in both space and time.
The research involved 50 patients and 100 brain hemispheres across multiple centers, including University Hospitals of Cologne and Düsseldorf, Harvard Medical School, and Charité Berlin. Scientists recorded brain activity through implanted DBS electrodes and magnetoencephalography (MEG) to trace functional connections between the subthalamic nucleus and cortical areas.
Analysis revealed that the key network communicates primarily in a high beta frequency band between 20 and 35 Hz. The strength of this network connection was associated with the degree of motor symptom improvement each patient experienced after electrode implantation.
Professor Andreas Horn of the University of Cologne, who led the study, said the findings characterize the DBS response network in terms of both location and timing for the first time. The results suggest that stimulating regions connected to this specific network could allow more precise adjustment of DBS settings.
Dr. Bahne Bahners, the study's first author from Düsseldorf University Hospital, explained that the identified rhythm may act as a communication channel mediating the therapeutic effects. The researchers plan to investigate directly how DBS causes changes within brain networks, with causal studies currently underway.
The work was largely funded by the Professor Klaus Thiemann Foundation. By linking a specific spatial network to a defined temporal rhythm, the study provides a potential foundation for personalizing DBS therapy, particularly for patients who have not responded optimally to current stimulation parameters.
Scientists discover a hidden brain rhythm that could improve Parkinson’s treatment
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