Feedback system overview. Signals from the DBS electrodes were acquired in real time. The radius of the black circle on the computer screen was controlled based on the β-band power of the acquired bipolar signals from adjacent contacts that were selected in the pre-feedback session. Credit: Fukuma et al., eNeuro (2018)
A neurofeedback system enables Parkinson's disease patients to voluntarily control brainwaves associated with symptoms of the disorder, according to new research published in eNeuro. It remains to be determined whether such a system can provide symptom relief.
Parkinson's disease is associated with abnormal beta wave activity in the subthalamic nucleus (STN), but a direct connection between this activity and movement difficulties has not been established. In their study of eight patients undergoing a routine replacement of a pulse generator used for deep brain stimulation, Takufumi Yanagisawa and colleagues developed a method that could help scientists better understand the relationship between brain activity and disease symptoms.
By translating participants' real-time brain activity into a visual representationduring a 10-minute training session, the researchers demonstrate the patients' ability to increase or decrease the size of a black circle with their thoughts alone.
This manipulation had a corresponding effect on STN beta waves measured after the training session.
Although the researchers did not observe an improvement in patients' symptoms, their study represents a new approach toward managing disease-related brain activity that could inform the development of new treatments.
More information: Real-time neurofeedback to modulate β-band power in the subthalamic nucleus in Parkinson's disease patients, DOI: www.eneuro.org/lookup/doi/10.1 … /ENEURO.0246-18.2018
Provided by: Society for Neuroscience
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-12-real-time-feedback-parkinson-brainwaves.html
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