Trial results for a study investigating Parkinson's Disease were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2026-05-01, reporting a mean change of 12 log10(µV²/Hz) in primary motor cortex beta-band spectral power.

Background

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has shown potential to improve symptoms in patients with movement deficits, including Parkinson's disease. However, the widespread adoption of tDCS has been limited due to a lack of detailed understanding regarding its precise mechanism of action. This knowledge gap has hindered the ability to prove tDCS effects on a broader scale. This study aimed to investigate the effects of tDCS in subjects performing a motor task, hypothesizing that this approach would help elucidate the brain signals mediating its effects.

Trial design

This completed study enrolled 20 participants to investigate Parkinson Disease. The trial's objective was to directly measure motor cortical responses to tDCS, specifically focusing on understanding how tDCS works to improve symptoms in conditions affecting movement.

Key results

The trial reported a key measurement related to motor cortical responses:

What this means

The reported measurement provides specific data on how anodal tDCS affects beta-band spectral power in the primary motor cortex during movement preparation in Parkinson's Disease patients. This finding contributes to the understanding of the direct neural responses to tDCS. By quantifying changes in brain signals, the study helps to clarify the underlying mechanisms of tDCS, which could potentially inform future therapeutic applications and optimize stimulation protocols for patients with movement disorders.

Source

The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT04759898, titled "Direct Measurement of Motor Cortical Responses to tDCS", were posted on 2026-05-01 on clinicaltrials.gov.