Temporal and spectral characterization of EMG signals in a model of Parkinson?s disease in rats

TERUYA PY; FARFÁN FD; PIZÁ AG; LUCIANNA FA; SOLETTA JH; ALBARRACIN ANA LIA

Congreso; SABI 2020 - CONGRESO ARGENTINO DE BIOINGENIERIA; 2020

Parkinson?s disease is a neurodegenerative disease currently diagnosed based on characteristic motor dysfunctions induced by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). The most common Parkinson?s disease animal model induces massive nigrostriatal degeneration by intracerebral infusion of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). However, the effect of SNc neurons depletion in muscular function over time has not been addressed. Using chronic implanted EMG electrodes in a hindlimb muscle of freely moving rats, we evaluated the effect of the PD neurotoxic model in the muscular activity during locomotion. EMG signals obtained from animals with different time post-injury were analyzed. The effective muscular activations from each recording were firstly delimited and then the spectral frequency contents were estimated. Power spectral densities were characterized by the mean and median frequency (fmean and fmedian). Our results show that as the time post-lesion increases both frequency parameters decrease. In all cases and in each experimental condition, fmean is greater than fmedian. In addition, the difference between both frequency parameters increases with the time post-lesion. Additionally, we have addressed a morphological analysis revealing a transition from a symmetrical to an asymmetrical morphology. These results suggest that temporal and spectral changes of the signals could be related to anatomical and functional changes of the hindlimb muscles due to the neuronal loss in the SNpc.