Objective: To explore whether subthalamic β oscillatory neurons are associated with the initiation of voluntary movement in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Background: The basal ganglia have been proposed to play an important role in the regulation of human movement. However, how the basal ganglia process information to initiate voluntary movements and their precise role in motor control remains unclear.
Method: Twenty-three patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for motor symptoms were included. Microelectrode recordings in the STN and electromyograms (EMGs) of the limb were obtained. They were instructed to perform self-paced wrist extension movements (10 repetitions) at 10-second intervals during the procedure. All patients were trained before surgery. Four periods (baseline, pre-movement, movement, and post-movement) of a single wrist movement were recorded. Single units and power density spectral analysis were performed. The interspike intervals (ISI) and coefficient of variation (CV) of ISI were calculated. ISI histograms were used.
Results: Of 164 STN neurons identified in 23 patients (STN: n=30), 47.6% (78/164) were β frequency oscillatory neurons. Of the 78 β frequency oscillatory neurons, 44.9% (35/78) responded to wrist movement. The movement-related oscillatory neurons showed that 33.3% (26/78) were synchronized with EMG activity, while 11.5% (9/78) were desynchronized with EMG activity during movement. Furthermore, it was found that an increase (62.9%) or a decrease (37.2%) in the firing rate of β frequency oscillatory neurons preceded movement onset.
Conclusion: 1.Subthalamic β frequency oscillatory neurons are involved in production of the voluntary movement.2. The β frequency oscillatory neurons changing firing rate during movement suggest that the STN may play an important role in facilitating or inhibiting movement. 3. The alteration in the firing rate of subthalamic β oscillatory neurons prior to movement indicates that the STN likely participates in movement preparation.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
P. Zhuang, X. Zhao, J. Li, Y. Zhang, Y. Hu, M. Hallett, Y. Li. Subthalamic β frequency oscillatory activity is modulated by self-paced wrist movement [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2025; 40 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/subthalamic-%ce%b2-frequency-oscillatory-activity-is-modulated-by-self-paced-wrist-movement/. Accessed October 6, 2025.« Back to 2025 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/subthalamic-%ce%b2-frequency-oscillatory-activity-is-modulated-by-self-paced-wrist-movement/