Disruption of Electroencephalogram Coherence Between Cortex/Striatum and Midbrain Dopaminergic Regions in the Knock-Out Mice with Combined Loss of Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Synucleins

Methods: EEG data from seven groups of knock-out (KO) mice with combined deletions of alpha, beta, and gamma synucleins versus a group of wild-type (WT) mice were compared. EEG coherence was estimated between the cortex (MC), putamen (Pt), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and substantia nigra (SN) in all combinations.

Results: EEG coherence suppression, predominantly in the beta frequency band, was observed in KO mice versus WT littermates. The suppression was minimal in MC-Pt and VTA-SN interrelations in all KO groups and in all inter-structural relations in mice lacking either all synucleins or only beta synuclein. In other combinations of deleted synucleins, significant EEG coherence suppression in KO mice was dominant in relations with VTA and SN.

Conclusion: Deletions of the synucleins produced significant attenuation of intra-cerebral EEG coherence depending on the imbalance of different types of synucleins.