A Stochastic Neural Mass Model for Cortical Beta Bursts in Parkinson’s Disease
Beta-band (13–30 Hz) oscillations are increasingly understood to occur as transient “bursts” rather than sustained rhythms, with altered burst dynamics, specifically increased duration and power alongside reduced burst rates, in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this study, we utilise resting state magnetoencephalography (MEG) data from healthy adults to quantify the temporal fluctuations in the beta-band, and examine the distributions of burst statistics. We then fit a stochastic next-generation neural mass model to these empirical statistics using a Genetic Algorithm. Systematic parameter sweeps reveal that reducing background drive to excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations reproduces the altered burst statistics observed in PD. Crucially, we show that strengthening synaptic coupling can counteract these deficits and restore healthy bursting dynamics. Together, this work establishes a computational framework linking cellular-level mechanisms to macroscale burst statistics, and highlights potential targets for therapeutic neuromodulation in movement disorders. Author summary Brain activity is comprised of rhythmic electrical patterns called “brain waves.” Traditionally, these waves were viewed as smooth and continuous, but recent evidence reveals that they actually occur in brief, intense bursts. In conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, these bursts become altered—lasting longer, growing stronger, and occurring less frequently. In this study, we developed a mathematical model of brain tissue to understand what drives these burst patterns. Using real brain scans from healthy human volunteers, we tuned our model with an optimisation algorithm until its simulated bursts closely matched real human brain activity. We then systematically varied the model’s settings to investigate how abnormal bursting arises in disease. We discovered that reducing the background signals to the brain cells reproduces the burst alterations seen in Parkinson’s disease. Importantly, our simulations showed that strengthening the connections between brain cells can counteract this deficit, restoring healthy burst patterns. By connecting microscopic cell properties to whole-brain rhythms, our work offers new insights into how movement disorders disrupt brain networks and highlights potential cellular targets to guide future brain stimulation therapies or medications.