Deep brain stimulation of the nucleus basalis of Meynert attenuates early EEG components associated with defective sensory gating in patients with Alzheimer disease – a two‐case study

Alzheimer′s disease (AD) is associated with deterioration of memory and cognitive function and a degeneration of neurons of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM). The NBM is the major input source of acetylcholine (ACh) to the cortex. The decreasing cholinergic innervation of the cortex due to degeneration of the NBM might be the cause of loss of memory function. NBM‐Deep brain stimulation (NBM‐DBS) is considered to serve as a potential therapeutic option for patients with AD by supporting residual cholinergic transmission to stabilize oscillatory activity in memory‐relevant circuits. However, whether DBS could improve sensory memory functions in patients with AD is not clear. Here, in a passive auditory oddball paradigm, patients with AD (N = 2) listened to repetitive background tones (standard tones) randomly interrupted by frequency deviants in two blocks with NBM‐DBS OFF and then NBM‐DBS ON, while age‐matched healthy controls (N = 6) repeated the experiment twice. The mismatch negativity in NBM‐DBS OFF significantly differed from controls in both blocks, but not under NBM‐DBS, which was likely due to a pronounced P50 increase overlapping with the N1 in NBM‐DBS OFF. This early complex of EEG components recovered under stimulation to a normal level as defined by responses in controls. In this temporal interval, we found in patients with NBM‐DBS ON (but not with NBM‐DBS OFF) and in controls a strong repetition suppression effect to standard tones – with more attenuated responses to frequently repeated standard tones. This highlights the role of NBM‐DBS for sensory gating of familiar auditory information into sensory memory. Alzheimer′s disease is associated with deterioration of sensory memory potentially due to a degeneration of neurons of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) and expressed in EEG by enhanced early components such as the P50. Under NBM‐Deep brain stimulation (NBM‐DBS), EEG components recovered to a normal level as defined by healthy controls highlighting the role of NBM‐DBS for sensory gating of familiar auditory information into sensory memory.