Christmas-Related Reduction in Beta Activity in Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Background: Subthalamic nucleus (STN) beta (13 - 35 Hz) activity is a biomarker reflecting motor state in Parkinson's disease (PD). Adaptive deep brain stimulation (DBS) aims to use beta activity for therapeutic adjustments, but many aspects of beta activity in real-life situations are unknown. Objective: The aim was to investigate Christmas-related influences on beta activity in PD. Methods: Differences in Christmas Day to nonfestive daily averages in chronic biomarker recordings in 4 PD patients with a sensing-enabled STN DBS implant were retrospectively analyzed. Sweet-spot and whole-brain network connectomic analyses were performed. Results: Beta activity was significantly reduced on Christmas Eve in all patients (4.00–9.00 p.m.: −12.30 ± 10.78%, P = 0.015). A sweet spot in the dorsolateral STN connected recording sites to motor, premotor, and supplementary motor cortices. Conclusions: We demonstrate that festive events can reduce beta biomarker activity. We conclude that circadian and holiday-related changes should be considered when tailoring adaptive DBS algorithms to patient demands. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.