Transcranial direct current stimulation for Parkinson's disease: systematic review and meta-analysis of motor and cognitive effects

Zhuo Duan; Chencheng Zhang

doi:10.1038/s41531-024-00821-z

Transcranial direct current stimulation for Parkinson's disease: systematic review and meta-analysis of motor and cognitive effects

NPJ Parkinsons Dis. 2024 Nov 6;10(1):214. doi: 10.1038/s41531-024-00821-z.

Authors

Zhuo Duan^{1

2

3

4}, Chencheng Zhang^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Clinical Neuroscience Center, Ruijin Hospital Luwan Branch, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. [email protected].
² Clinical Neuroscience Center, Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. [email protected].
³ Laboratory of Stereotaxy and Interventional Neurosciences, Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. [email protected].
⁴ Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. [email protected].
⁵ Clinical Neuroscience Center, Ruijin Hospital Luwan Branch, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. [email protected].
⁶ Clinical Neuroscience Center, Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. [email protected].

PMID: 39505889
DOI: 10.1038/s41531-024-00821-z

Abstract

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising noninvasive intervention for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, studies of its motor and cognitive effect have produced mixed results. We conducted a systematic review including 38 studies and meta-analysis of 12 randomized sham-controlled trials with 263 PD patients. No significant differences were found between active and sham tDCS in motor function (UPDRS-III: SMD = -0.14, p = 0.74), gait (SMD = 0.10, p = 0.513), attention and working memory (SMD = 0.24, p = 0.13), executive function (SMD = 0.03, p = 0.854), and memory and learning (SMD: -0.07, p = 0.758). The prediction intervals indicated substantial heterogeneity among studies. Meta-regression showed small positive effects in younger PD patients with milder symptoms. These findings are preliminary but suggest tDCS may benefit some PD patients while being neutral or harmful to others.