Long-Range Temporal Correlations in Electroencephalography for Parkinson's Disease Progression.

BACKGROUND

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) present progressive deterioration in both motor and non-motor manifestations. However, the absence of clinical biomarkers for disease progression hinders clinicians from tailoring treatment strategies effectively.

OBJECTIVES

To identify electroencephalography (EEG) biomarker that can track disease progression in PD.

METHODS

A total of 116 patients with PD were initially enrolled, whereas 63 completed 2-year follow-up evaluation. Fifty-eight age- and sex-matched healthy individuals were recruited as the control group. All participants underwent EEG and clinical assessments. Long-range temporal correlations (LRTC) of EEG data were analyzed using the detrended fluctuation analysis.

RESULTS

Patients with PD exhibited higher LRTC in left parietal θ oscillations (P = 0.0175) and lower LRTC in centro-parietal γ oscillations (P = 0.0258) compared to controls. LRTC in parietal γ oscillations inversely correlated with changes in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) part III scores over 2 years (Spearman ρ = -0.34, P = 0.0082). Increased LRTC in left parietal θ oscillations were associated with rapid motor progression (P = 0.0107), defined as an annual increase in UPDRS part III score ≥3. In cognitive assessments, LRTC in parieto-occipital α oscillations exhibited a positive correlation with changes in Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores over 2 years (Spearman ρ = 0.27-0.38, P = 0.0037-0.0452).

CONCLUSIONS

LRTC patterns in EEG potentially predict rapid progression of both motor and non-motor manifestations in PD patients, enhancing clinical assessment and understanding of the disease. © 2024 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.