The Effect of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease (PD)

The Effect of High Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease

This study aims to assess the therapeutic role of rTMS on parkinson's patients with cognitive impairment. Patients diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and cognitive impairment will be recruited. All patients will be admitted and will be allocated randomly into two groups one of which will receive real sessions of high frequency rTMS for each hemisphere for 10 consecutive sessions totally over period of 10 days with repeated booster sessions every month during the period of follow up. The other will receive sham sessions.

This study aims to assess the therapeutic role of rTMS on parkinson's patients with cognitive impairment. Thirty PD patients with cognitive impairment using United Kingdom (UK ) bank criteria for PD will be recruited from outpatient clinic in Assiut University. All patients will be admitted at Neuropsychiatric Department, Assiut University Hospital/ Assiut, Egypt.Each patient fulfilled the inclusion criteria as having score less than 24 on Mini-Mental Status Examination will be recruited. The patients will be allocated randomly into two groups one of which will receive real sessions of high frequency rTMS (25 HZ), with intensity of 80% of resting motor threshold detected from the hand motor area, with total 2000 pulses for each hemisphere for 10 consecutive sessions totally over period of 10 days with repeated booster session every month during the period of follow up among three months. The other will receive sham sessions. All subjects will be followed up by selected clinical rating scales at different intervals pre session, post 10 sessions, and after one, two and three months.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients with Parkinson's Disease who were diagnosed according to UK bank criteria for PD, Aged 45-75 years, with criteria for cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental Status Examination< 24), and consent obtained from the patient or his caregiver.

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of repeated head injury
• History of repeated cerebrovascular strokes
• History of defined encephalitis
• Oculogyric crisis, supranuclear gaze palsy
• Family history of more than one relative
• History of drug intake as antipsychotics or 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) exposure
• Moderate and Severe depression (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score >16)
• severe dysautonomia
• Cerebellar signs
• Babinski sign
• Strictly unilateral features after 3 years
• Hydrocephalus or intracranial lesion on neuroimaging
• We also excludes patients with intracranial metallic devices or with pacemakers or any other device.