Long-term Stability of LFP Recorded From the STN and the Effects of DBS

Movement disorders such as Parkinson Disease, dystonia, and tremor are related to abnormalities of part of the brain known as the basal ganglia. Recently, it has been suggested that the basal ganglia works by oscillations (group of neurons cycle between activation/deactivation when stimulated) of electrical signals. A treatment that involves insertion of electrodes in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for electrical stimulation, known as deep brain stimulation (DBS), is an established treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease. However its mechanism of action is still not completely understood. Currently, DBS utilizes an "open loop" system whereby the stimulation settings are manually adjusted depending on the patients' clinical response. 1. Determine whether the local field potential (LFP) recorded from the STN is stable over a 1.5 year period. 2. Address whether STN LFP is a suitable control signal, and how it should be used to change DBS parameters