Objective: To investigate the relationship between subthalamic beta activity and hand drawing characteristics.

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects various motor functions such as handwriting, walking, and coordination. Motor impairment is closely associated with pathologically exaggerated oscillatory synchronization in the beta-frequency band (13-30 Hz)[1]. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is an evidence-based effective therapy for PD and is suggested to improve drawing parameters, including the degree of severity, smoothness of movement, as well as tremor [2,3]. However, the relationship between DBS-induced neural modulations and improvements in hand drawing remains poorly understood.

Method: We recorded in vivo invasive subthalamic nucleus local field potentials (LFP) in 19 PD patients after DBS electrode implantation, during Archimedean spiral drawing movements. LFPs were recorded at both resting-state and drawing during DBS stimulation ON and OFF conditions. Graphomotor execution was evaluated by means of the average velocity of spiral drawing and the neural underpinnings of spiral drawing were assessed based on LFP beta oscillatory activity[4].

Results: PD patients drew significantly faster during free drawing (i.e., without being constrained by a template; p < 0.001). Clinically effective high-frequency stimulation further sped up drawing movements (p < 0.01). We observed non-significant increased beta synchronization during rest, followed by continuous movement-related beta-band desynchronization (p < 0.05). Interestingly, a pronounced synchronization rebound was observed shortly after movement termination during the stimulation OFF condition.

Conclusion: We evidence electrophysiological underpinnings of STN-DBS effects for spiral drawing in PD patients. DBS stimulation operates beyond motor performance to prevent increased beta-band synchronization in the STN.

References: 1. Tinkhauser, G., Torrecillos, F., Duclos, et al. (2018). Beta burst coupling across the motor circuit in Parkinson’s disease. Neurobiol Dis, 117, 217-225. doi:10.1016/j.nbd.2018.06.007
2. Bange, M., Gonzalez-Escamilla, G., Marquardt, T., et al. (2022). Deficient Interhemispheric Connectivity Underlies Movement Irregularities in Parkinson’s Disease. Journal of Parkinson’s disease, 12(1), 381-395. doi:10.3233/jpd-212840
3. Radmard, S., Ortega, R. A., Ford, B., et al., (2021). Using computerized spiral analysis to evaluate deep brain stimulation outcomes in Parkinson disease. Clin Neurol Neurosurg, 208, 106878. doi:10.1016/j.clineuro.2021.106878
4. Herz, D. M., Bange, M., Gonzalez-Escamilla, G., et al. (2022). Dynamic control of decision and movement speed in the human basal ganglia. Nature Communications, 13(1), 7530. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-35121-8

« Back to 2023 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/deep-brain-stimulation-enhances-movement-velocity-during-spiral-drawing-in-parkinsons-disease/