Bereitschaftspotential augmentation by neuro-feedback training in Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Decreased early Bereitschaftspotential (BP) is one of the electrophysiological characteristics in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We examined whether PD patients could increase BP amplitude by means of neuro-feedback (NFB) training for their slow cortical potentials (SCPs).
METHODS: We worked with 10 PD patients and 11 age-matched controls. BP was measured for self-paced button pressing by their right thumb. The subjects were instructed to make the introspective efforts to produce negative SCPs (negativation). The one-day session consisted of three trials, that is, the first BP, NFB training and the second BP, and each patient performed this routine for 2-4 days. Amplitudes of the first and second BPs were compared between the two groups that were divided depending on NFB performance.
RESULTS: Good NFB performance had the tendency of larger early BP in the second BP recording than in the first one, whereas in the poor NFB performance the early BP was smaller in the second BP recording than in the first one in both patient and normal groups (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Good NFB performance of negativation could increase excitatory field potentials of pyramidal cells for the generation of early BP. SIGNIFICANCE: Voluntary regulation of SCPs could enhance BP in PD patients and in aged controls.