Alpha-theta border EEG abnormalities in preclinical Huntington's disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Brain dysfunction is evident years before clinical symptoms in Huntington's disease (HD).
• Identifying early biomarkers in preclinical HD mutation carriers (pre-HD) is crucial for understanding disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate alterations in resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) in pre-HD individuals.
• To determine if specific EEG frequency bands can detect preclinical changes associated with HD.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state EEG data were collected from 29 pre-HD individuals and 29 age-matched controls.
• Analysis focused on relative power of traditional EEG bands and 1-Hz sub-bands within theta and alpha ranges.

Main Results:

• A significant reduction in the relative power of a narrow theta-alpha band (7-8 Hz) was observed in pre-HD subjects.
• Broad EEG band alterations were not statistically significant.
• Correlations were found between CAG repeat numbers, disease burden score, and specific EEG power in delta, theta, and alpha bands.

Conclusions:

• Narrow EEG band analysis is more sensitive for detecting alterations in pre-HD individuals compared to broad bands.
• Observed EEG changes may reflect the underlying pathological process and contribute to the HD endophenotype.