Effective Connectivity During Rest and Music Listening: An EEG Study on Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Music-based interventions seem to enhance motor, sensory and cognitive functions in Parkinson’s disease (PD), but the underlying action mechanisms are still largely unknown. This electroencephalography (EEG) study aimed to investigate the effective connectivity patterns characterizing PD in the resting state and during music listening. EEG recordings were obtained from fourteen non-demented PD patients and 12 healthy controls, at rest and while listening to three music tracks. Theta- and alpha-band power spectral density and multivariate partial directed coherence were computed. Power and connectivity measures were compared between patients and controls in the four conditions and in music vs. rest. Compared to controls, patients showed enhanced theta-band power and slightly enhanced alpha-band power, but markedly reduced theta- and alpha-band interactions among EEG channels, especially concerning the information received by the right central channel. EEG power differences were partially reduced by music listening, which induced power increases in controls but not in patients. Connectivity differences were slightly compensated by music, whose effects largely depended on the track. In PD, music enhanced the frontotemporal inter-hemispheric communication. Our findings suggest that PD is characterized by enhanced activity but reduced information flow within the EEG network, being only partially normalized by music. Nevertheless, music capability to facilitate inter-hemispheric communication might underlie its beneficial effects on PD pathophysiology and should be further investigated.

Integrating virtual reality, electroencephalography, and transcranial magnetic stimulation to study the neural origin of the sublime: The SUBRAIN protocol

“…Brain complexity, power, and functional and effective connectivity features are extracted from the EEG signal and used to evaluate differences of multiple cerebral dimensions among the experimental conditions, ultimately providing a wide comprehension of the neural bases of the awe emotion. Amplitude and latency of TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) of interest (40) and TMS-evoked effective connectivity indices (41) are calculated from the TMS-EEG data and compared among the experimental conditions. Power and connectivity analyses are performed in the main EEG frequency bands (delta: 1-4 Hz, theta: 4-8 Hz, alpha: 8-13 Hz, beta: 13-30 Hz, and gamma: 30-50 Hz).…”

Fractal Dimensions and Machine Learning for Detection of Parkinson’s Disease in Resting-State EEG

“…These non-motor impairments can be analyzed very efficiently using EEG. In multiple studies, EEG was captured while performing tasks like listening to music [67] or watching a movie [68], and the emotional response to these stimuli was analyzed through the EEG signal. Numerous clips of the movie expressing various emotions like tragedy, happiness, romance, and many others were shown to the patient, and their response was observed.…”

Wireless electroencephalogram monitoring system for deciphering neurological disorders using brain connectivity patterns

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