Effect of transcranial pulsed electromagnetic fields (T-PEMF) on functional rate of force development and movement speed in persons with Parkinson’s disease: A randomized clinical trial

Abstract

BackgroundParkinson’s disease is caused by dopaminergic neurodegeneration resulting in motor impairments as slow movement speed and impaired balance and coordination. Pulsed electromagnetic fields are suggested to have neuroprotective effects, and could alleviate symptoms.ObjectiveTo study 1) effects of 8-week daily transcranial pulsed electromagnetic field treatment on functional rate of force development and movement speed during two motor tasks with different levels of complexity, 2) if treatment effects depend on motor performance at baseline.MethodsNinety-seven persons with Parkinson’s disease were randomized to active transcranial pulsed electromagnetic field (squared bipolar 3 ms pulses, 50 Hz) or placebo treatment with homebased treatment 30 min/day for 8 weeks. Functional rate of force development and completion time of a sit-to-stand and a dynamic postural balance task were assessed pre and post intervention. Participants were sub-grouped in high- and low-performers according to their baseline motor performance level. Repeated measure ANOVAs were used.ResultsActive treatment tended to improve rate of force development during chair rise more than placebo (P = 0.064). High-performers receiving active treatment improved rate of force development during chair rise more than high-performers receiving placebo treatment (P = 0.049, active/placebo: 11.9±1.1 to 12.5±1.9 BW/s ≈ 5% / 12.4±1.3 to 12.2±1.3 BW/s, no change). No other between-treatment-group or between-treatment-subgroup differences were found. Data on rate of force development of the dynamic balance task and completion times of both motor tasks improved but did not allow for between-treatment differentiation.ConclusionTreatment with transcranial pulsed electromagnetic fields was superior to placebo regarding functional rate of force development during chair rise among high-performers. Active treatment tended to increase functional rate of force development while placebo did not. Our results suggest that mildly affected persons with Parkinson’s disease have a larger potential for neural rehabilitation than more severely affected persons and indicate that early treatment initiation may be beneficial.

The effect of 8 weeks of treatment with transcranial pulsed electromagnetic fields on hand tremor and inter-hand coherence in persons with Parkinson’s disease

“…The present study includes accelerometer data from a subsample of participants of a double-blinded randomized clinical trial [27, 30, 31]. In the trial, 97 participants diagnosed with idiopathic PD (Hoehn & Yahr I-IV) according to the United Kingdom Brain Bank Criteria were randomized to receive either 8 weeks of T-PEMF or placebo treatment in a 1:1 allocation ratio.…”

“…All participants provided written informed consent prior to participation. For further details of the trial, please refer to Additional file 1 or [27, 30, 31].…”

“…However, PEMF may affect the tissue both directly through interaction mechanisms between the electromagnetic fields and the conductive tissue, and indirectly by initiating biological events leading to physiologic responses [26]. Recently, we found that 8 weeks of daily treatment with weak transcranial pulsed electromagnetic fields (T-PEMF) improved motor function, in terms of increased rate of force development, in persons with mild PD [27]. Rate of force development depends on the corticospinal drive to the muscles and we proposed that treatment with T-PEMF may increase the corticospinal drive to the muscles through an increased thalamocortical input [27].…”

“…Recently, we found that 8 weeks of daily treatment with weak transcranial pulsed electromagnetic fields (T-PEMF) improved motor function, in terms of increased rate of force development, in persons with mild PD [27]. Rate of force development depends on the corticospinal drive to the muscles and we proposed that treatment with T-PEMF may increase the corticospinal drive to the muscles through an increased thalamocortical input [27].…”

Transcranial low‐frequency pulsating electromagnetic fields (T‐PEMF) as post‐concussion syndrome treatment

“…[9][10][11] Furthermore, a recent study in patients with Parkinson's disease indicates a positive effect after 8 weeks of daily T-PEMF treatment on motor function, though only significant in patients treated early in disease progression. 12 To our knowledge, no studies have to date looked at T-PEMF as a treatment option for post-concussion syndrome.…”