The Genetic Etiology of Parkinson's Disease Does Not Robustly Affect Subthalamic Physiology

BackgroundIt is unknown whether Parkinson's disease (PD) genetic heterogeneity, leading to phenotypic and pathological variability, is also associated with variability in the unique PD electrophysiological signature. Such variability might have practical implications for adaptive deep brain stimulation (DBS). ObjectiveThe aim of our work was to study the electrophysiological activity in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of patients with PD with pathogenic variants in different disease-causing genes. MethodsElectrophysiological data from participants with negative genetic tests were compared with those from GBA, LRRK2, and PRKN-PD. ResultsWe analyzed data from 93 STN trajectories (GBA-PD: 28, LRRK2-PD: 22, PARK-PD: 10, idiopathic PD: 33) of 52 individuals who underwent DBS surgery. Characteristics of beta oscillatory activity in the dorsolateral motor part of the STN were similar for patients with negative genetic tests and for patients with different forms of monogenic PD. ConclusionsThe genetic heterogeneity in PD is not associated with electrophysiological differences. Therefore, similar adaptive DBS algorithms would be applicable to genetically heterogeneous patient populations. (c) 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between pathogenic gene variants in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and electrophysiological activity. The results showed that genetic heterogeneity in PD is not associated with electrophysiological differences, indicating that adaptive deep brain stimulation algorithms would be applicable to genetically heterogeneous patient populations.