t-DCS-preconditioned low-frequency rTMS of the hand area of M1 to improve bradykinesia in Parkinson's disease

Introduction: State of the art treatment for idiopathic Parkinson-Syndrom (IPS) is dopaminergic medication or deep brain stimulation. Both strategies allow a distinct amelioration of symptoms, but have side effects or are invasive. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and repetetive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) are safe, non-invasive methods to modulate cortical excitability. We investigated the effect of tDCS-preconditioned 1Hz rTMS over the hand area of the primary motor cortex to improve bradykinesia of the upper limb in IPS. Methods: 7 IPS patients (5 male, 2 female, mean age 65,7 years…