Background: The second most common kind of neurodegenerative disease is Parkinson's disease (PD)., and there are still significant challenges with its pharmaceutical treatment. Due to its potential therapeutic benefits on motor functions in Parkinson's disease (PD), high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) of the motor cortex is an exciting non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) for treating both motor and non-motor symptoms of PD. Objectives: The purpose of this prospective sham-controlled double-blinded study was to quantify the treatable effects of high-frequency rTMS on PD-related motor and non-motor symptoms.
Patients and Methods: Between August 2022 and May 2023, 35 participants of both sexes were included in this research after being diagnosed with PD. All patients were attending Minia University Hospital Neurology outpatient clinic. Patients were randomly assigned as 1:1 to either the Real-rTMS group (high-frequency, 5 HZ) or SHAM-rTMS group. Ten consecutive sessions of TMS were performed. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) was used to evaluate all patients both before the first session and again after the tenth session was completed.
Results: After 10 consecutive sessions, only the real-rTMS group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in motor section of UPDRS score (UPDRS 3) and overall UPDRS scores. In contrast, the SHAM-group showed no statistically significant changes.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that high-frequency rTMS might play a significant role in treating motor manifestations of PD.