Changes in Neuronal Entropy in a Network Model of the Cortico-Basal Ganglia during Deep Brain Stimulation

Neuronal entropy changes are observed in the basal ganglia circuit in Parkinson’s disease (PD). These changes are observed in both single unit recordings from globus pallidus (GP) neurons and in local field potential (LFP) recordings from the subthalamic nucleus (STN). These changes are hypothesized as representing changes in the information coding capacity of the network, with PD resulting in a reduction in the coding capacity of the basal ganglia network. Entropy changes in the LFP and in single unit recordings are investigated in a detailed physiological model of the cortico-basal ganglia network during STN deep brain stimulation (DBS). The model incorporates extracellular stimulation of STN afferent fibers, with both orthodromic and antidromic activation, and simulation of the LFP detected at a differential recording electrode. LFP sample entropy and beta-band oscillation power were found to be altered following the application of DBS. The ring pattern entropy of GP neurons in the network were observed to decrease during high frequency stimulation and increase during low frequency stimulation. Simulation results were consistent with experimentally reported changes in neuronal entropy during DBS.