Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Fine Motor Skills in Parkinson's Disease: a Pilot Study

Catholic University (KU) of Leuven

Status: Completed

Conditions: Fine Motor Skills; Parkinson's Disease; Handwriting; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Treatments: Device: transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02287207

S57231

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this pilot study is to determine the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on brain activity and fine motor skills in patients with Parkinson's disease compared to healthy controls.

Full description

The pilot study will involve a double-blind, sham controlled cross-over design where participants will receive anodal and sham tDCS stimulation in a randomized order. Differences in brain activity and fine motor skill performance between groups and after tDCS stimulation will be compared.

Enrollment: 20 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosed with idiopathic PD, according to the UK Brain Bank criteria
• Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stage II in the 'on'-phase of the medication cycle
• Right dominant PD

Exclusion criteria

• Cognitive impairment (MMSE < 23)
• Visuo-spatial deficits (measured by the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) test)
• Left-handedness (evaluated by the Edinburgh Handedness scale)
• Depression
• Pregnancy
• Alcohol abuse
• Aneurysm clips
• Pacemaker
• Neurostimulator
• Implemented defibrillator
• Magnetically activated implant or device
• Implemented pump
• Spinal cord simulator
• Implemented hearing aid
• Artificial or prosthetic limb
• Metal parts in the body
• Any external or internal metal
• Artificial heart valve
• Other implants
• History of brain surgery
• Migraine
• Family history of Epilepsy
• Other contra-indications for tDCS and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
• Other neurological, psychiatric or interfering upper limb problems

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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20 participants in 2 patient groups

Anodal tDCS

Active Comparator group

Description:

20 minutes, 1.0 mA unilateral-anodal motor cortex (M1) tDCS stimulation

Treatment:

Device: transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Sham tDCS

Sham Comparator group

Description:

20 minutes, sham tDCS stimulation

Treatment:

Device: transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)