Neural oscillations modulation during working memory in pre-manifest and early Huntington's disease

Gaia Bonassi; Marianna Semprini; Paola Mandich; Lucia Trevisan; Roberta Marchese; Giovanna Lagravinese; Federico Barban; Elisa Pelosin; Michela Chiappalone; Dante Mantini; Laura Avanzino

doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148540

Neural oscillations modulation during working memory in pre-manifest and early Huntington's disease

Brain Res. 2023 Dec 1:1820:148540. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148540. Epub 2023 Aug 19.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
² Rehab Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genoa, Italy.
³ Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
⁴ IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
⁵ Rehab Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genoa, Italy; Dept. of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering, University of Genoa, 16145 Genoa, Italy.
⁶ Research Center for Motor Control and Neuroplasticity, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; Brain Imaging and Neural Dynamics Research Group, IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, 30126 Venice, Italy.
⁷ IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy; Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: lavanzino76@gmail.com.

PMID: 37598900
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148540

Abstract

Introduction: We recently demonstrated specific spectral signatures associated with updating of memory information, working memory (WM) maintenance and readout, with relatively high spatial resolution by means of high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG). WM is impaired already in early symptomatic HD (early-HD) and in pre-manifest HD (pre-HD). The aim of this study was to test whether hdEEG coupled to source localization allows for the identification of neuronal oscillations in specific frequency bands in 16 pre-HD and early-HD during different phases of a WM task.

Methods: We examined modulation of neural oscillations by event-related synchronization and desynchronization (ERS/ERD) of θ, β, gamma low, γ_LOW and γ_HIGH EEG bands in a-priori selected large fronto-parietal network, including the insula and the cerebellum.

Results: We found: (i) Reduced θ oscillations in HD with respect to controls in almost all the areas of the WM network during the update and readout phases; (ii) Modulation of β oscillations, which increased during the maintenance phase of the WM task in both groups; (iii) correlation of γ_HIGH oscillations during WM task with disease burden score in HD patients.

Conclusions: Our data show reduced phase-specific modulation of oscillations in pre-HD and early-HD, even in the presence of preserved dynamic of modulation. Particularly, reduced synchronization in the θ band in the areas of the WM network, consistent with abnormal long-range coordination of neuronal activity within this network, was found in update and readout phases in HD groups.

Keywords: Huntington disease; Network; Neural oscillations; Working memory; hd-EEG.