Impact of rhythmic transcranial magnetic stimulation on the dynamics of motor and non-motor manifestations of Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease manifested by a whole group of motor, cognitive, affective, and other disorders. Many of them cannot be controlled by modern pharmacotherapy in full measure. New treatments, including nondrug ones, are needed. To evaluate the impact of rhythmic transcranial magnetic stimulation on motor, cognitive, and affective disorders in Parkinson's disease. The investigation enrolled 55 patients with Stage III Parkinson's disease according to the Hoehn and Yahr scale. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups: a study group (n=35) and a control one (n=20). The groups were matched for age, disease type and duration, and symptom severity. The basic therapy for Parkinson's disease included Levodopa in combination with dopamine receptor agonists and monoamine oxidase B inhibitors. All the patients in the study group underwent a cycle of therapeutic transcranial magnetic stimulation. Both patient groups underwent clinical and neurological examinations and tests using various scales. All the patients were followed up for 6 months. The patients who had undergone a cycle of magnetic stimulation showed a significant improvement in motor functions. There was a decrease in the total MDS-UPDRS-III scores by an average of 6.4 (p<0.05) and that in the GABS scores by 5.9 (p<0.05). Rhythmic transcranial magnetic stimulation can be considered as an additional treatment for Parkinson's disease. No significant side effects were noted during and after stimulation.