Using EEG spatial correlation, cross frequency energy, and wavelet coefficients for the prediction of Freezing of Gait in Parkinson´s Disease patients

Parkinson´s Disease (PD) patients with Freezing of Gait (FOG) often experience sudden and unpredictable failure in their ability to start or continue walking, making it potentially a dangerous symptom. Emerging knowledge about brain connectivity is leading to new insights into the pathophysiology of FOG and has suggested that electroencephalogram (EEG) may offer a novel technique for understanding and predicting FOG. In this study we have integrated spatial, spectral, and temporal features of the EEG signals utilizing wavelet coefficients as our input for the Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network and k-Nearest Neighbor classifier. This approach allowed us to predict transition from walking to freezing with 87% sensitivity and 73% accuracy. This preliminary data affirms the functional breakdown between areas in the brain during FOG and suggests that EEG offers potential as a therapeutic strategy in advanced PD.