Alpha And 0 Oscillations In The Subthalamic Nucleus Are Potential Biomarkers For Parkinson'S Disease With Depressive Symptoms

Introduction: Abnormal alpha oscillations in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis and subgenual cingulate of patients with depression correlate with symptom severity. Some Parkinson's disease (PD) patients also have abnormal 0-alpha oscillations in the subthalamic nucleus (STN). However, the relationship between abnormal 0-alpha oscillations and depressive symptoms in PD patients has not been determined. This study explored the correlation between alpha and 0 oscillations of the STN and depressive symptoms in PD patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-control study on 36 PD patients with (dPD group) or without depressive symptoms (nPD group), analyzing the difference in the average power spectral density (PSD) of alpha and 0 oscillations of the local field potential (LFP) recorded in the STN during deep brain stimulation (DBS), and their correlation with the Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD) of PD patients during the same period. Results: The dPD group had a higher PSD of alpha oscillations and a lower PSD of 0 oscillations in the left ventral STN. The PSD of alpha oscillations of the left ventral STN were positively correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms, whereas the PSD of 0 oscillations of this location was negatively correlated with severity of depressive symptoms. The PSD of alpha and 0 oscillations did not correlate with motor symptoms, sleep quality, or quality of life score. Conclusion: Abnormal alpha and 0 oscillations of the left ventral STN could be used as biomarkers of PD with depressive symptoms, which might guide STN-DBS treatment.