The Effects of a Socially Evaluated Cold Press Stressor on Inhibitory Gating in Persons With Parkinson’s Disease

Impaired inhibitory gating is a sensory processing symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) associated with common motor symptoms, such as bradykinesia and motor inhibition. Acute stress impairs inhibitory gating in healthy adults; however, it is unclear how stress impacts inhibitory gating in people with PD. Using a Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor (SECP) to induce acute stress, inhibitory gating was assessed through electroencephalography (EEG) in fifteen individuals diagnosed with PD in the mild to moderate range of symptom severity by measuring the p50 ratio (S1/S2) during an auditory paired click paradigm, relative to age- and gender-matched healthy older adults (HOAs). Results confirmed decreased inhibitory gating in both persons with PD and HOAs following the induction of an acute stressor. Persons with PD experienced greater, though insignificant, S1 and S2 amplitudes than HOAs with a medium-to-large effect size in the condition by group interaction ( ηp² = 0.104). These findings provide evidence to suggest that PD may also affect early auditory processing, possibly through over-compensation of the reticular activating system. However, interpretations are limited to eight individuals with PD and fifteen HOAs. Future research should examine the relationship between stress and sensory functioning on motor symptoms and cognition in persons with PD to unlock potential clinical targets for therapeutics.