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Updated: Jun 13, 2025
The Combined Use of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Robotic Therapy for the Upper Limb
Published on: September 23, 2018
Transcranial direct current stimulation combined with motor training for motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: A
Joon Ho Lee1, Jin-Sun Jun2, Nyeonju Kang1
1Division of Sport Science, Sport Science Institute & Health Promotion Center, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea; Department of Human Movement Science, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea; Neuromechanical Rehabilitation Research Laboratory, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea.
Background:
We aimed to compare the acute and retention effects of motor training alone versus its combination with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.
Method:
Two independent reviewers searched for randomized controlled trials that applied motor training with active tDCS versus sham tDCS with motor function as an outcome measure for patients with PD. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted to calculate standardized mean differences between the effects of motor training with active tDCS versus sham tDCS on motor function. A total of 16 randomized controlled trials (344 PD patients) were eligible for meta-analysis, resulting in 75 motor function comparisons for data synthesis.
Results:
Motor training with active tDCS showed positive acute effects on overall motor function compared to motor training with sham tDCS, particularly improving step length and gait speed. Moderator variable analyses indicated that these acute effects persisted regardless of the number of sessions or the targeted brain regions for tDCS. Meta-regression analysis showed that a higher proportion of female participants and shorter PD duration were associated with greater acute effects. No positive retention effects of motor training with active tDCS on overall motor function were observed.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that combining motor training with tDCS improves motor function, particularly in gait-related parameters, in PD patients. However, these effects were not sustained over time, highlighting the temporary nature of the benefits. Sex differences may influence the acute effects of combined motor training and tDCS interventions.
