Physiological and harmonic components in neural and muscular coherence in Parkinsonian tremor.
OBJECTIVE
To differentiate physiological from harmonic components in coherence analysis of the tremor-related neural and muscular signals by comparing power, cross-power and coherence spectra.


METHODS
Influences of waveform, burst-width and additional noise on generating harmonic peaks in the power, cross-power and coherence spectra were studied using simulated signals. The local field potentials (LFPs) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the EMGs of the contralateral forearm muscles in PD patients with rest tremor were analysed.


RESULTS
(1) Waveform had significant effect on generating harmonics; (2) noise significantly decreased the coherence values in a frequency-dependent fashion; and (3) cross-spectrum showed high resistance to harmonics. Among six examples of paired LFP-EMG signals, significant coherence appeared at the tremor frequency only, both the tremor and double tremor frequencies and the double-tremor frequency only.


CONCLUSIONS
In coherence analysis of neural and muscular signals, distortion in waveform generates significant harmonic peaks in the coherence spectra and the coherence values of both physiological and harmonic components are modulated by extra noise or non-tremor related activity.


CONCLUSIONS
The physiological or harmonic nature of a coherence peak at the double tremor frequency may be differentiated when the coherence spectra are compared with the power and in particular the cross-power spectra.
Wang
Shouyan
S
Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, and Department of Neurosurgery, Radcliffe Infirmary, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HE, UK.
Aziz
Tipu Z
TZ
Stein
John F
JF
Bain
Peter G
PG
Liu
Xuguang
X
D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D014202:Tremor / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy