Single unit and beta oscillatory activities in subthalamic nucleus are modulated during visual choice preference

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) involves dopamine deficiency in basal ganglia, causing abnormal beta band oscillations (13-35 Hz) in the subthalamic nucleus (STN).
• While STN and beta activity are linked to motor control, their function in cognitive processes is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of STN single unit and beta local field potential (LFP) activity in cognitive functions.
• To examine neural activity in the STN during a visual choice preference task in Parkinson's disease patients.

Main Methods:

• Recorded single unit and beta LFP activity in the STN of 12 PD patients undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery.
• Patients performed a visual choice preference task involving selecting favorite animal pictures.
• Analyzed neuronal spiking and LFP spectrograms relative to picture presentation and decision points.

Main Results:

• Thirty out of 58 analyzed neurons showed selective spiking activity changes following favorite picture presentation, preceding reaction times.
• Beta LFP activity significantly desynchronized in response to favorite pictures but not non-favorite ones.
• Desynchronization was followed by a beta burst and return to baseline in some trials, with responsive neurons found across the STN.

Conclusions:

• STN single units and beta activity are modulated during visual choice preference tasks.
• This modulation suggests a significant role for STN beta activity in cognitive processing, extending beyond motor functions.