Trial results for a study investigating Parkinson's Disease were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-11-10, indicating that active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial ultrasound (TUS) combined with physical therapy led to a mean improvement of 4.42 in UPDRS Part III scores, compared to 0.12 in the sham group.
Background
Parkinson's Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor symptoms such as tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability. Postural instability, in particular, significantly impacts quality of life and increases the risk of falls. While physical therapy (PT) is a cornerstone of management, researchers are exploring adjunctive therapies to enhance its effectiveness. This trial investigated whether combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial ultrasound (TUS) with PT could lead to more significant therapeutic effects on postural instability in patients with Parkinson's Disease.
Trial design
This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 40 participants with Parkinson Disease. The trial investigated the effects of two weeks of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial ultrasound (TUS) combined with physical therapy (PT). Participants were randomized to either receive active tDCS and active TUS alongside PT, or sham tDCS and sham TUS alongside PT. The study aimed to understand the mechanism and test the therapeutic effects on postural instability.
Key results
The trial reported key measurements related to the improvement in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part III, a common scale used to assess motor function in Parkinson's disease:
- For the group receiving Active tDCS and Active TUS, the mean improvement in UPDRS Part III was 4.42 (Standard Error 0.42).
- For the group receiving Sham TDCS and Sham TUS, the mean improvement in UPDRS Part III was 0.12 (Standard Error 0.43).
What this means
The results indicate a notable difference in the improvement of motor symptoms, as measured by the UPDRS Part III, between the active treatment group and the sham group. Patients who received active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial ultrasound (TUS) in conjunction with physical therapy demonstrated a substantially greater mean improvement compared to those who received sham stimulation. This suggests that the combination of tDCS+TUS may enhance the therapeutic benefits of physical therapy in addressing postural instability and other motor symptoms in Parkinson's Disease, warranting further investigation into its clinical utility.
Source
The information for this condition update was sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The trial results for the study NCT03981055, titled "Parkinson's Disease: Enhancing Physical Therapy With Brain Stimulation for Treating Postural Instability.", were posted on 2025-11-10 on clinicaltrials.gov.