EEG Frequency Correlates with α₂-Receptor Density in Parkinson's Disease

Increased theta and delta power and decreased alpha and beta power, measured with quantitative electroencephalography (EEG), have been demonstrated to have utility for predicting the development of dementia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Noradrenaline modulates cortical activity and optimizes cognitive processes. We claim that the loss of noradrenaline may explain cognitive impairment and the pathological slowing of EEG waves. Here, we test the relationship between the number of noradrenergic α₂ adrenoceptors and changes in the spectral EEG ratio in patients with PD.

We included nineteen patients with PD and thirteen healthy control (HC) subjects in the study. We used positron emission tomography (PET) with [¹¹C]yohimbine to quantify α₂ adrenoceptor density. We used EEG power in the delta (δ, 1.5-3.9 Hz), theta (θ, 4-7.9 Hz), alpha (α, 8-12.9 Hz) and beta (β, 13-30 Hz) bands in regression analyses to test the relationships between α₂ adrenoceptor density and EEG band power.

PD patients had higher power in the theta and delta bands compared to the HC volunteers. Patients' theta band power was inversely correlated with α₂ adrenoceptor density in the frontal cortex. In the HC subjects, age was correlated with, and occipital background rhythm frequency (BRF) was inversely correlated with, α₂ adrenoceptor density in the frontal cortex, while occipital BRF was inversely correlated with α₂ adrenoceptor density in the thalamus.

The findings support the claim that the loss or dysfunction of noradrenergic neurotransmission may relate to the parallel processes of cognitive decline and EEG slowing.