Understanding Circuit Dynamics in Parkinson's Disease using Real-Time Neural Control

The project will leverage a new neural control approach, evoked-interference closed-loop DBS (eiDBS), to suppress or amplify frequency-specific neural oscillations in real-time using Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) leads. This technique will be applied to the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi) or the subthalamic nucleus (STN) to characterize how controlled modulation of beta band activity relates to the severity of rigidity and bradykinesia in PD patients. The project will also test the hypothesis that changes in the propagation of beta band oscillations across the GPi, STN, motor (MC), premotor (PMC), and dorsolateral prefrontal (DLPFC) cortices correlate better with rigidity and bradykinesia than amplitude alone. Furthermore, it will characterize the spectral, temporal, and spatial dynamics of neural responses in the BGTC circuit evoked by stimulation in the GPi and STN, combining evoked response (ER) data with high-resolution imaging and computational modeling to delineate how activation of distinct neuronal pathways influences ER dynamics.