Time-frequency analysis of transient neuromuscular events: dynamic changes in activity of the subthalamic nucleus and forearm muscles related to the intermittent resting tremor

In order to investigate the dynamic change in transient neuromuscular events and the functional correlation between the neural and muscular activity, local field potentials (LFPs) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and surface electromyograms (sEMGs) over several episodes of transient resting tremor from a patient with Parkinson's disease were quantitatively characterised in time-frequency domain using short-time Fourier transform and continuous wavelet transform. Events of onset and cessation of the tremor-related activity in the STN and muscles were correlated to reveal the temporal relationship between the two signals. A significant suppression in the power of the STN LFPs in the beta band (10-30 Hz) preceded the onset of resting tremor, which was presented as the increases in the power at the tremor frequency (3.0-4.5 Hz) in both STN LFPs and surface EMGs. Over the episodes of the intermittent resting tremor, the power of the STN LFPs in the beta band and the power of sEMGs in the tremor frequency band change in an alternating pattern with a significant exponential correlation (PSTN = 16.8 + 62.3 × exp(−PEMG/6270.7); R2 = 0.72; p < 0.05). Significant linear correlation in the power values at the tremor frequency appears between STN LFPs and sEMGs (PSTN = 65.1 + 2.1 × 10−4PEMG; R2 = 0.41; p < 0.05). In comparison with short-time Fourier transform, similar results could be achieved using continuous wavelet transform of an appropriate wavelet with a higher temporal resolution but larger distortion in the high frequency.