Changes in brain structure and neurotransmitter systems are involved in pain in Parkinson's disease (PD), and emotional factors are closely related to pain. Our study applied electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate the role of emotion in PD patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Forty-two PD patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain and 38 without were enrolled. EEG data were recorded under resting conditions, and while viewing pictures with neutral, positive, and negative content. We compared spectrum power, functional connectivity, and late positive potential (LPP), an event-related potential (ERP), between the groups.

PD patients with pain tended to have higher scores for the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD). In the resting EEG, mean β-band amplitude was significantly higher in patients with pain than in those without. Logistic regression analysis showed that higher HRSD scores and higher mean β-band amplitude were associated with pain. ERP analysis revealed that the amplitudes of LPP difference waves (the absolute difference between positive and negative condition LPP and neutral condition LPP) at the central–parietal region were significantly reduced in patients with pain (P = 0.029). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the amplitudes of late (700–1000 ms) negative versus neutral condition LPP difference waves were negatively correlated with pain intensity, assessed by visual analogue scale, (r = −0.393, P = 0.010) and HRSD scores (r = −0.366, P = 0.017).

Dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic systems may be involved in musculoskeletal pain in PD by increasing β-band activity and weakening the connection of the θ-band at the central–parietal region. PD patients with musculoskeletal pain have higher cortical excitability to negative emotions. The changes in pain-related EEG may be used as electrophysiological markers and therapeutic targets in PD patients with chronic pain.