In Korea, recently, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has become available for hospital prescriptions at non-covered rates for depression.
Following the research showing that it is effective in improving attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults, research on various applicable fields from improving motor function in patients with Parkinson’s disease is on fire.
Non-invasive electrical nerve stimulation therapy includes tDCS, tACS (transcranial AC stimulation), and taVNS (transcranial ear nerve stimulation).
tDCS is a type of stimulation therapy that applies weak direct current through two or more electrodes placed on the scalp. taVNS stimulates the auricle instead of the scalp to stimulate an increase in noradrenaline neurotransmission.
First, a new study showing that taVNS can improve motor function in patients with Parkinson’s disease was presented at the International Conference on Movement Disorders in Parkinson’s on the 25th.
Electrical stimulation through the pinna leads to structures in the brain via the main nerve, including the hippocampus, thalamus, and prefrontal cortex. The research team conducted clinical trials on patients with Parkinson’s disease, paying attention to the fact that movement improvement was observed in animal experiments.
In the clinical trial, 30 patients with mild to moderate non-degenerative Parkinson’s disease were given taVNS stimulation for 1 hour 10 times over 2 weeks.
The main study endpoint was a change in the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Scale (MDS-UPDRS III).
As a result of the analysis, clinically significant 3-point improvement of MDS-UPDRS III was observed in 4 of the non-stimulated group and 8 of the stimulated group.
The most improved symptom was kinesia, followed by tremor. However, as a result of the secondary analysis, there was a statistically significant difference in verbal fluency, which was observed in the taVNS stimulation group.
“TaVNS was well tolerated across subjects,” the researchers said. “It is possible that the enhanced dopamine and noradrenaline associated with taVNS induced motor performance improvement while also induced cognitive decline, increasing the number of taVNS trials and overall duration of treatment,” the researchers said. We plan to conduct future research.”
Meanwhile, a new study found that tDCS can help improve attention in non-drug-free ADHD patients.
The neuromodulatory effect induced by tDCS depends on the electric field induced in the nervous system and is induced by two or more electrodes connected to a stimulation device.
As a European expert panel preemptively prepared guidelines for the use of tDCS, guidelines for use appeared in Korea earlier this year. In particular, in Europe, it has been approved for indications for stroke, poisoning, and migraine, and is being actively used in clinical trials.
The study (doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.202.2055) published on the 3rd in the international academic journal JAMA Psychiatry looked at the change in the ADHD self-report scale (CASRS-I) after applying self-tDCS for 30 minutes daily for 4 weeks to 64 ADHD patients. .
As a result of the analysis, the mean inattentive score measured in CASRS-I at week 4 was 18.88 in the active tDCS group and 23.63 in the simulated tDCS group.
Of the patients in the active tDCS group, 34.3% had a 30% decrease in CASRS-I score compared to 6.2% in the simulated tDCS group.
This effect is similar to that reported with trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS), the first approved stimulator for ADHD, and similar to that reported with atomoxetine, a second-line treatment for ADHD, the researchers said.
In this regard, Kim Do-hoon, president of the Korean Brain Stimulation Society, said, “Though tDCS is unfamiliar in Korea, it is widely approved and used in Europe.
He said, “Not all patients need to use an electronic drug with electrical stimulation, but it is definitely an alternative for those who have aversion to drugs and side effects. The fact that there are few side effects issues because there is no procedure is also a strength,” he added.