Effect of Repetitive Bihemispheric Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Motor Function of Patients With Parkinson's Disease

Effect of Repetitive Bihemispheric Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Motor Function of Patients With Parkinson's Disease

Dopaminergic medications and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) are the current standards interventions for Parkinson's Disease. Pharmacotherapy with dopaminergic drugs leads to partial improvement in motor functions of patients. Invasive therapies like DBS have as yet limited availability and accessibility, with risk of adverse events as well. Non invasive therapies like Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) are currently increasingly being probed for their therapeutic value, in view of their safety, portability and convenience of administration.

Improvement in motor function immediately after a single session of tDCS has been observed. The effect of single simulation is not sustained beyond a few days. Only few studies with varied sites of stimulation have evaluated the effect of repetitive tDCS on motor function improvement in patients with Parkinson's Disease, with conflicting results. There is an unmet need to probe the utility of repetitive tDCS on motor function of patients with Parkinson's Disease.

We aim to probe the effect of repetitive tDCS of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and M1 cortex on motor function in patients with Parkinson's Disease (Hoehn and Yahr stage 2 to 4).

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients fulfilling the Movement Disorder Society (MDS) clinical diagnostic criteria for Parkinson's disease.
2. Patients with Hoehn & Yahr stages 2-4 Parkinson's disease.
3. Patients maintained on stable medical regimen for at least 1 month before entering the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with other confounding neurological and psychiatric disorders.
2. The presence of metal objects or stimulators in the head.
3. Patients with a history of deep brain stimulation.
4. Patients with history of seizures.
5. Patients with skull defect due to surgery e.g. craniectomy
6. Patients with scalp condition likely to obstruct application of electrodes.