Characterization of the Involvement of the Subthalamic Nucleus During Wakefulness and Sleep in Parkinson's Disease: Contribution of Deep Brain Stimulation

Sleep-wake disturbances are common in Parkinson's disease. These disturbances are associated with a decline in patients' quality of life and a poor prognosis. This clinical research project follows a study conducted in non-human primates that began in 2017 at the Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience. In this study, the investigators confirmed the existence of sleep-wake behavior disturbances in the macaque model of the disease, and the investigators characterized their nature and expression. These disturbances were founded to be very similar to those observed in patients with Parkinson's disease. The investigators then explored the involvement of different brain structures, potentially targets for deep brain stimulation, in sleep-wake behavior under healthy conditions and dopamine depletion (Parkinson's disease model). Among the deep brain stimulation targets being explored, the subthalamic nucleus (STN), still under investigation in this preclinical program, is a promising candidate for deep brain stimulation because this nucleus is strongly implicated in motor behavior and, more recently, in sleep/wake behavior. An ongoing study in non-human primates shows that it is possible to identify states of alertness based on STN activity, and an automatic detection algorithm is currently being evaluated.

Furthermore, this study will allow for the characterization of sleep/wake behavioral disturbances (diurnal and nocturnal) in patients with Parkinson's disease. Finally, this study will enable a correlation analysis between disease severity and sleep/wake disturbances.