Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Does Not Improve the Sequence Effect in Freezing of Gait

Jinghong Ma; Linlin Gao; Taomian Mi; Junyan Sun; Piu Chan; Tao Wu

doi:10.1155/2019/2196195

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Does Not Improve the Sequence Effect in Freezing of Gait

Parkinsons Dis. 2019 Jun 4:2019:2196195. doi: 10.1155/2019/2196195. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Jinghong Ma¹, Linlin Gao^{2

3}, Taomian Mi⁴, Junyan Sun^{2

3}, Piu Chan^{1

2

3

4

5

6}, Tao Wu^{2

3

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
² Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory on Neurodegenerative Disorders of Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
³ Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson Disease Center of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Neurobiology and Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.
⁵ Clinical Center for Parkinson's Disease, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
⁶ National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Introduction: The sequence effect (SE) is a reason contributing to freezing of gait (FOG) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. There is no effective treatment for the SE. The objective of the current study is to investigate the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the SE in PD patients with FOG.

Methods: 28 PD patients with FOG received either real or sham 10-Hz rTMS over the supplementary motor area (SMA). The effects of rTMS on the SE, FOG, and some gait parameters were evaluated.

Results: rTMS did not improve the SE. Real rTMS had beneficial effects on FOG and some gait parameters, and this effect lasted for at least four weeks.

Conclusions: High-frequency rTMS over the SMA cannot alleviate the SE in PD patients with FOG. rTMS has a long-lasting beneficial effect on FOG; however, this effect is not achieved by improving the SE but may be through improving some other gait parameters.