Attenuated NoGo-related beta desynchronisation and synchronisation in Parkinson\u2019s disease revealed by magnetoencephalographic recording

Hung-Ming Wu,Rou-Shayn Chen,Fu-Jung Hsiao,Wan-Yu Hsu,Yung-Yang Lin,Din-E Shan,Ming-Chang Chiang

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-43762-x

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by motor abnormalities. Many non-demented patients with PD have cognitive impairment especially in executive functions. Using magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recording combined with event-related desynchronisation/synchronisation (ERD/ERS) analysis, we investigated cortical executive functions during a Go/NoGo task in PD patients and matched healthy subjects. PD patients had a longer reaction time in the Go condition and had a higher error ratio in both Go and NoGo conditions. The MEG analysis showed that the PD patients had a significant reduction in beta ERD during the NoGo condition and in beta ERS during both Go and NoGo conditions compared with the healthy subjects (all p < 0.05). Moreover, in the Go condition, the onsets of beta ERD and ERS were delayed in PD patients. Notably, NoGo ERS was negatively correlated with the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score in PD patients. The present study demonstrated abnormalities in motor programming, response inhibition, and frontal inhibitory modulation in PD. Further extensive investigations are necessary to confirm the longitudinal treatment responses in PD.

Highlights

Synchronisation (ERD/ERS) analysis, we investigated cortical executive functions during a Go/NoGo task in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients and matched healthy subjects
No significant difference was found between the PD patients and Healthy controls (HC) with respect to age or gender
In the current patient cohort, the alterations in the Go task could be related to the abnormal proactive inhibitory control and motor function, whereas the relatively poor performance in the NoGo task might imply the dysfunction of proactive inhibitory control and response inhibition

Summary

Introduction

Synchronisation (ERD/ERS) analysis, we investigated cortical executive functions during a Go/NoGo task in PD patients and matched healthy subjects. The present study demonstrated abnormalities in motor programming, response inhibition, and frontal inhibitory modulation in PD. PD patients could have cognitive problems, even with normal Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores[1]. These non-motor symptoms, including deficits in executive functions, language, memory, and visuospatial skills, have been reported in the early stages of PD2. Accumulated neuropsychological evidence[3,6] has demonstrated impaired executive functions in PD patients with the use of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, delayed response tasks, Stroop test, and Go/NoGo task[2]. Impairment in executive functions was shown to be associated with the development of dementia in PD patients[10]

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