Effects Of tDCS With Physical Therapy On Rehabilitation In Parkinson's Disease

Universidade Federal de Pernambuco

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Parkinson Disease

Treatments: Behavioral: Physiotherapy; Device: tDCS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01877148

Parkinson_tDCS_rehabilitation

Details and patient eligibility

About

The present study aims to investigate the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) associated with physiotherapy in parkinson´s rehabilitation. Previous studies showed that tDCS could reduce the bradykinesia, one of the symptom of Parkinson disease. In this way, this study will combine tDCS with physiotherapy in order to enhance the motor rehabilitation and the quality of life.

Full description

12 patients were participated of this study.After screening to check the eligibility criteria and giving informed consent, they were randomized in two groups. All patients were submitted to a 10 therapeutic sessions that occurred 3 times per week.

Before, immediately after and 1 month after the last session patients were submitted to an evaluation with the follow tests: Unified Parkinson´s Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS), Jebsen Taylor Test (JTT) and Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life (PDQL). Furthermore, before and after each session the patients were submitted to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to evaluate cortical excitability through motor threshold and motor evoked potential.

In experimental sessions, the subjects always received physiotherapy with conventional techniques, the protocol followed the clinical practice guideline for physical therapy in Parkinson disease with the Royal Dutch Society Therapy. During tDCS protocol the patients seated in a comfortable chair with head and arm rests. Continuous current was applied using a pair of saline-soaked surface sponge electrodes (surface 35 cm2), the anode electrode was placed over the primary motor cortex and cathode above contralateral orbit. tDCS was applied of twice stimulation of 13 minutes with 20 minutes of interval between them and a current strength of 1mA. Sham tDCS was applied by current flow of 30s.

Enrollment: 12 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 40 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Parkinson disease comproved by a neurologist Regular treatment with dopamine or other drugs against parkinson -

Exclusion criteria

pregnant history of convulsion metal implant in the region of skull or face change in medication during the study realize other physical therapy in the same time of the study previous surgery for parkinson disease

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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12 participants in 2 patient groups

Physiotherapy + anodal tDCS

Experimental group

Description:

The patients will be submit to anodal tDCS applied in the motor cortex and after the patient will be submit to a 30 minutes of physiotherapy protocol.

Treatment:

Device: tDCS

Behavioral: Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy + sham tDCS

Sham Comparator group

Description:

The patients will be submit to sham tDCS and after the patient will be submit to a 30 minutes of physiotherapy protocol.

Treatment:

Device: tDCS

Behavioral: Physiotherapy