Study of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease

Phase 2

Completed

• Conditions: Parkinson Disease

• Registration Number: NCT00029666
• Lead Sponsor: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Brief Summary

This study will examine the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on Parkinson's disease symptoms. rTMS is a way of stimulating the brain that may be able to change the electrical activity of the nerve cells in the brain. It has been proposed as a treatment for brain disorders, including Parkinson's disease. In preliminary studies, some patients' symptoms improved; in some they worsened temporarily, and some showed no change.

Patients between 40 and 80 years of age with moderately severe Parkinson's disease, whose main problem is slowness of movement and stiffness, may be eligible for this study.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: one will receive rTMS to parts of the brain involved in controlling movement; the other will receive sham, or placebo, stimulation. Nine treatments will be given over a 4-1/2 week period. Patients will take their Parkinson's disease medications during the study, but will stop taking the medicines for 4 to 5 hours before one of the sessions.

For rTMS, an insulated wire coil is placed on the scalp. A brief electrical current is passed through the coil, creating a magnetic pulse that stimulates the brain. The pulses are delivered in trains, or short bursts, lasting 1 second each. There will be 48 trains for a total of 1200 pulses per 24-minute session. The stimulation may cause muscle twitching in the scalp or face and may also cause small movements of the limbs.

Just before and after each rTMS session, patients will have a neurologic examination, including an evaluation of walking. Their motor function tests will be recorded on videotape to document possible improvement and to allow physicians to rate the improvement. The physicians will not know which patients are receiving actual rTMS and which are receiving sham treatment. Ratings before the first and after the last rTMS sessions will be more detailed.

Detailed Description

The treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) needs further improvement, particularly in the area of gait and freezing. A promising technique is repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) that, so far, has produced small effects on bradykinesia in drug free patients in limited trials. We hypothesize that rTMS will have a beneficial effect on gait and freezing in medicated patients, and propose to test this in a controlled trial. Specifically, we propose to look at the effect of 25 Hz stimulation since this type of stimulation has been shown to increase the excitability of the cerebral cortex. Over a one-year period, we will enroll 40 adults with PD and evaluate the effects 8 treatments over a period of 4 weeks. We will investigate effects on the motor cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex since both of these regions may be underactivated in PD and recent data suggest a change in diencephalic dopamine function with rTMS of the prefrontal cortex. Symptoms will be evaluated with standard tests of motor function including the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and specific tests of gait and freezing. We will look for acute effects of stimulation and for cumulative effects.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2002-01
• Study First Submitted: 2002-01-17
• Study First Submitted QC: 2002-01-17
• Study First Posted: 2002-01-18
• Status Verified: 2005-03
• Study Completion: 2005-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2008-03-03
• Last Update Posted: 2008-03-04

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 40

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS); 🇺🇸 Bethesda, Maryland, United States