Depression, Parkinson's Disease
Conditions
Keywords
rTMS, Digital Biomarkers, Neuronavigation, Motor Cortex, Neurodegeneration
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in improving depressive symptoms in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD). Participants will be randomly assigned to either an active rTMS group or a sham-control group. The study aims to establish an optimal treatment protocol using a neuronavigation system and to validate treatment responses through various digital biomarkers such as facial expression analysis and eye-tracking.
Interventions
DEVICERepetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
High-frequency rTMS is delivered to bilateral primary motor cortex (M1) using neuronavigation guidance (BrainEyes). Parameters: 10 Hz, 90% of resting motor threshold (RMT), 50 pulses per train, 55-second inter-train interval, 20 trains per session, 1,000 pulses per session, once daily for 5 consecutive weekdays.
Sham rTMS is delivered with the coil tilted 90 degrees perpendicular to the scalp to prevent magnetic field delivery to the cortex. The same click sound and scalp sensation are maintained. Session parameters are identical to active rTMS group.
Sponsors
Ho-Won Lee
Korea Brain Research Institute
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)
Intervention model description
Participants are randomly assigned to either real rTMS or sham rTMS group. Both groups continue their existing Parkinson's disease medication throughout the study.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
40 Years to 90 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Willing and able to provide written informed consent * Male or female aged 40 to 90 years * Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease with depressive symptoms * Hoehn and Yahr stage 1 to 3 * On stable Parkinson's disease medication for at least 3 months prior to screening, with no planned dose increase during the study period * BDI-II score ≥ 14 (mild depression) or ≥ 20 (moderate depression) * Able to read and write Korean and capable of independently completing questionnaires
Exclusion criteria
* History of epilepsy * Parkinson's disease caused by cerebrovascular disease, CNS infection, intoxication, or traumatic brain injury * Diagnosed with Parkinson-plus syndromes (multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, dementia with Lewy bodies etc.) * Clinically significant abnormal laboratory values (AST, ALT, or total bilirubin \> 2.5 x ULN) * Diagnosed with psychiatric disorders * Unable to follow instructions or communicate * Pregnant, breastfeeding, or women of childbearing potential * Febrile patients * Patients with artificial hip joint implants * Presence of conductive, ferromagnetic, or magnetically sensitive metal near the head or treatment coil (e.g., cochlear implants, implanted electrodes/stimulators, aneurysm clips or coils) * Cardiac disease, especially patients with pacemakers * Corrected or uncorrected visual acuity less than 0.5 * Use of drug infusion pumps or hearing aids * Patients with acute illness * Patients taking tricyclic antidepressants, neuroleptics, or other medications that may lower seizure threshold * History of increased intracranial pressure or head trauma * Evidence of external wounds on brain or neck * Prominent psychotic symptoms other than depression (high NPI scores for hallucinations, delusions, mania) * History of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or substance abuse * Suicidal ideation (BDI-II item 9 score of 2 or 3) * History of or planned deep brain stimulation or stereotactic surgery (pallidotomy, thalamotomy) * Any participant deemed ineligible by the investigator, including those with medical conditions that may increase risk or interfere with study evaluation * Currently enrolled in another clinical trial or used investigational drug/device within 30 days or 5 half-lives prior to consent
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) and 5 weeks (T2, 1-month follow-up) | Self-reported measure of depressive symptom severity consisting of 21 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate greater depression severity. |
| Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) and 5 weeks (T2, 1-month follow-up) | Caregiver-rated assessment of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients, covering 12 domains including mood, apathy, anxiety, and psychosis. Each domain rated by frequency (1-4) and severity (1-3). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) and 5 weeks (T2, 1-month follow-up) | Disease-specific questionnaire assessing quality of life in Parkinson's disease patients across 8 domains: mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being, stigma, social support, cognition, communication, and bodily discomfort. Scores range from 0 to 100; higher scores indicate worse quality of life. |
| Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) and 5 weeks (T2, 1-month follow-up) | Comprehensive clinician-administered scale assessing motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease across 6 subscales: non-motor experiences of daily living, motor experiences of daily living, motor examination, motor complications, Hoehn and Yahr staging, and Schwab and England ADL scale. Higher scores indicate greater disease severity. |
| Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS) | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) and 5 weeks (T2, 1-month follow-up) | Self-reported scale assessing sleep disturbances in Parkinson's disease patients, consisting of 15 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (0-4). Covers three domains: nocturnal motor symptoms, PD-specific nocturnal symptoms, and sleep-specific disturbances. Higher scores indicate more frequent sleep disturbances. |
| Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 Korean Version (TAS20-K) | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) and 5 weeks (T2, 1-month follow-up) | Korean validated version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale consisting of 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, assessing three factors: difficulty identifying feelings (DIF), difficulty describing feelings (DDF), and externally oriented thinking (EOT). Higher total scores indicate greater alexithymia. |
| Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) and 5 weeks (T2, 1-month follow-up) | Brief cognitive screening tool assessing multiple cognitive domains including attention, concentration, executive functions, memory, language, visuoconstructional skills, conceptual thinking, calculations, and orientation. Scores range from 0 to 30; higher scores indicate better cognitive function. |
| Facial Expression Analysis (FaceReader) | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) and 5 weeks (T2, 1-month follow-up) | Automated facial expression analysis using FaceReader software to quantitatively assess facial action units (AUs) and emotional expression patterns. Participants perform facial emotion recognition and imitation tasks. Measures include response speed, latency, accuracy, and facial expression accuracy based on Action Unit analysis. |
| Eye Movement Assessment (Eye-tracking) | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) and 5 weeks (T2, 1-month follow-up) | Quantitative assessment of eye movements using screen-based Tobii Pro Spark. Measures include gaze speed, gaze position, gaze duration, gaze latency, and pupil size during task performance, providing objective evaluation of oculomotor function. |
| Electromyography (EMG) | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) and 5 weeks (T2, 1-month follow-up) | Muscle activity is measured using DELSYS Trigno Avanti Sensor and Trigno Quattro Sensor attached to the skin with medical tape. Wireless measurement technology enables free movement during task performance, with real-time data collection via dedicated software. |
| Static Balance Assessment (BT4) | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) and 5 weeks (T2, 1-month follow-up) | Quantitative assessment of postural stability using BT4 balance evaluation system, measuring center of pressure (COP) displacement during standing. Assesses limits of stability in anterior, posterior, and lateral directions, and COP movement during Romberg test under eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. |
| Body Composition Analysis (InBody) | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) and 5 weeks (T2, 1-month follow-up) | Basic physical information is collected using InBody580 with 4-pole 8-point tactile electrode method. Bioelectrical impedance is measured across 3 frequency bands (5kHz, 50kHz, 250kHz) in 5 body segments (right arm, left arm, trunk, right leg, left leg), yielding 15 impedance measurements. |
| Brain Structural and Functional MRI | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) after stimulation | Neuroimaging assessment of brain structure and function using MRI with three sequences: T1-weighted and T2-weighted structural imaging, and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) to assess white matter integrity and structural connectivity. Used to evaluate changes in brain structure before and after rTMS treatment, and to guide neuronavigation-based TMS targeting. |
| Blood-based biomarkers | Change from Baseline (T0) at 1 week (T1) after stimulation | Quantitative measurement of candidate plasma biomarkers including Amyloid beta 40/42, Tau, phosphorylated Tau (p-Tau), and Neurofilament light chain (NfL) using antibody-based quantitative analysis methods (SIMOA, Luminex, or ELISA). |
Countries
South Korea
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORHowon Lee, MD
Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital
Outcome results
None listed