Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting over 10 million people world-wide. It can be a debilitating disorder and although studied for decades, the physiological changes in the basal ganglia thalamocortical (BGTC) circuit that underlie its development remain under debate. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and internal globus pallidus (GPi) has been a highly effective therapy for many patients with PD, however, the results have been highly variable and may be associated with cognitive compromise in some patients. To advance DBS therapies for PD we require a deeper understanding of the local and network-wide circuit dynamics and their relationship to motor signs and cognitive function. This understanding will provide the rationale for optimizing STN and GPi DBS, targeting specific regions within the STN and GPi, and development of patient-specific DBS based on the patients' motor signs and cognitive profile
This study will help us better understand how the brain works in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is a brain disease that gets worse over time, and affects over 10 million people world-wide. A common treatment for PD is Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). To improve DBS therapy for PD, we need a deeper understanding of how the different parts of the brain work together in PD, and how this relates to movement and thinking problems that people with PD experience.~We may be able to use the results of this study to improve DBS treatments in the future.