In this study, we recorded subdural electrocorticographic (ECoG) signals directly from the M1 of freely-walking patients with Parkinson’s disease who received STN-DBS therapy. Through synchronized 3D optoelectronic motion tracking systems, we quantified long periods of stable walking and ongoing freezing in both the stimulation off and on states. We observed that the intensity of PAC in M1 during walking predicted freezing severity and cognitive burdens exacerbate freezing through a ‘resources-competition’ way. STN-DBS alleviated FOG by both reducing cortical PAC and increasing cortical resilience to excessive PAC. Based on these findings, we proposed the novel ‘bandwidth model,’ which extends the current multi-circuit hypothesis of FOG and may aid the development of next-generation neuromodulation therapy for FOG.
