Parkinson’s disease is often known for its movement symptoms, such as slowness and tremor, but many people also experience changes in thinking that can have a major impact on everyday activities.
These non-motor symptoms can appear early, sometimes even before movement problems. One example of a common difficulty is working memory, which involves holding and using information over short periods of time, for example remembering instructions, following conversations, or holding a short code in mind long enough to enter it. Despite how common and impactful these difficulties are, we still do not fully understand the brain mechanisms that give rise to them.
The goal of our work is to understand how cognition is supported by brain networks affected in Parkinson’s disease, particularly the basal ganglia and their connections to the cortex. We study how different brain regions communicate while participants perform memory tasks. To do this, we combine recordings from implanted deep brain stimulation electrodes with measurements taken from the scalp and eye-movement tracking that do not involve surgery. We also examine how medication and deep brain stimulation influence brain activity and cognitive function.
A key feature of this work is that it goes beyond standard clinic testing. In addition to in-clinic measurements, we use virtual-reality-based tasks and at-home data collection to study brain activity and behavior in settings that more closely reflect everyday life. This approach helps bridge the gap between laboratory findings and real-world cognitive function.
By combining these approaches, we aim to identify brain signals linked to different cognitive processes, such as memory and mental effort. Ultimately, this research is designed to inform the development of next-generation brain stimulation therapies that reduce cognitive burden and support thinking in daily life, not only movement.