Dependence of subthalamic nucleus oscillations on movement and dopamine in Parkinson’s disease

Local field potentials and pairs of neurones in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of patients with Parkinson's disease show high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) at 15-30 Hz. This study explores how these HFOs are modulated by voluntary movements and by dopaminergic medication. We examined 15 patients undergoing implantation of bilateral deep brain stimulating electrodes using microelectrode recordings of pairs of STN neurones (eight patients) and macroelectrode recordings of local field potentials from the STN (14 patients). Synchronized HFOs between STN neurones were observed in 28 out of 37 pairs in five patients who had tremor in the operating room and none of 45 pairs in three patients who did not. In two of the…