Study Protocol: Investigating the Effects of Transcranial Pulse Stimulation in Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by motor and non-motor symptoms, including cognitive decline, mood disturbances, and sensory deficits. While dopaminergic treatments remain the gold standard, they present long-term side effects and limited impact on non-mot...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Anna Carolyna Gianlorenço, Lucas Camargo, Elayne Borges Fernandes, Elly Pichardo, Huan Jui Yeh, Dilana Hazer-Rau, Rafael Storz, Felipe Fregni
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Bioengineering
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/12/7/773
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Summary:Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by motor and non-motor symptoms, including cognitive decline, mood disturbances, and sensory deficits. While dopaminergic treatments remain the gold standard, they present long-term side effects and limited impact on non-motor symptoms. Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS) has emerged as a promising adjunct therapy in neurological and psychiatric conditions, but its effects in PD remain underexplored. This open-label, single-arm trial protocol involves 14 PD participants and outlines a personalized 12-session treatment approach combined with a homogeneously distributed TPS intervention among patients with PD. The approach addresses the subject’s most prominent symptoms, as identified through validated clinical assessments, encompassing domains related to both motor and non-motor symptoms. Over 2.5 months, besides the intervention sessions, the 14 participants will undergo an MRI brain scan, a baseline assessment, a post-treatment assessment, and a 1-month follow-up assessment. The study aims to determine whether personalized TPS is a feasible and safe intervention and whether it improves PD symptoms across multiple functional domains. This study represents the first structured attempt to evaluate a multimodal, personalized TPS intervention in patients with PD. It addresses gaps in current treatment approaches and may support the development of future strategies for integrated, symptom-targeted neuromodulation.
ISSN:2306-5354