Varying patterns of association between cortical large-scale networks and subthalamic nucleus activity in Parkinson’s disease

Kohl O, Gohil C, Sure M, Schnitzler A, Florin E.

 

NPJ Parkinsons Dis. 2026; 12(1): 106. doi: 10.1038/s41531-026-01372-1. PMID: 42069716.
Download summary: ReTune PoM 2026-07

The rising prevalence of Parkinson’s disease has created an urgent need for brain activity markers guiding diagnosis and treatment strategies. While abnormal basal ganglia activity is known to synchronise with specific cortical regions, the temporal dynamics and cortical network architecture of this coupling remain unclear. To address this, we analysed simultaneous magnetoencephalography and subthalamic nucleus (STN) local field potential recordings from 27 individuals with Parkinson’s disease, both on and off dopaminergic medication. Using a time-delay embedded Hidden Markov Model, we identified dynamic large-scale cortical networks whose occurrences fluctuate over time and exhibit distinct STN-cortical coupling. STN-supplementary motor area (SMA) synchrony increased during activations of the sensorimotor network and the posterior default mode network. The former was associated with 9.5–23 Hz power and beta bursts in the STN, and the latter with 5–16.5 Hz power. Dopaminergic medication preferentially reduced STN beta power in networks lacking enhanced STN-SMA synchrony. These findings suggest that large-scale cortical networks have varying patterns of association with STN activity and may provide temporal windows into subcortical processing. Such network signatures in non-invasive recordings offer promising candidates for markers of subcortical-cortical activity in Parkinson’s disease and may provide targets for treatment strategies, including closed-loop stimulation.

 

Oliver Kohl, PhD

Oliver Kohl is a postdoctoral researcher in Esther Florin’s Lab at the Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf. His research focuses on how interactions between distributed brain regions give rise to behaviour, and how disruptions in these interactions contribute to neurological disease.

Prof. Esther Florin

Florin is a Lichtenberg Professor at the Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, and project leader with ReTune. In her research, she analyzes neural connectivity to understand cognition and behaviour in healthy subjects and neurological patients.

 

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