Application of higher-order spectral analysis to local field potentials recorded in patients treated with deep brain stimulation

Local field potentials (LFPs) recorded from implanted deep brain electrodes demonstrated the oscillatory nature of human basal ganglia. LFP rhythms were mainly characterized by means od power spectral analysis, thus loosing information related to rhythm phase synchronization and to event related phase modulations. Because the application of higher-order spectral analysis methodology can overcome such limitation, here we review the present applications of bispectral and cross-bispectral analysis to LFP recordings. The results obtained up to now showed that higher-order spectral analysis was able to clarify detect different rhythm synchronizations and interactions characterizing different pathologies and patient’s states.