Effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation on cognitive dysfunction in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy.

Effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation on cognitive dysfunction in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy. Psychiatriki. 2019 Oct-Dec;30(4):320-328 Authors: Alexoudi A, Patrikelis P, Deftereos S, Fasilis T, Karakalos D, Verentzioti A, Korfias S, Sakas D, Gatzonis S Abstract Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a tauopathy characterized by motor, neurobehavioral and disabling brainstem deficits. No disease-modifying therapeutic options exist. The therapeutic potential of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been highlighted in studies on patients with other neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, by drawing upon the limited tDCS literature on PSP, we conducted a pilot study in order to evaluate the effect of tDCS over motor and premotor cortex in patients with PSP, with a particular emphasis on cognitive dysfunction. Eight patients affected by PSP were included (4 males and 4 females with mean age 67.4±7.4 years, range: 55-80 years and mean disease duration: 4.6±3.3 years, range: 1-11 years). The mean Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS III) was 49±16.1 and the mean Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) scale was 3.9±1 at baseline. All pharmacological treatments (L-dopa, pramipexole, rotigotine, rasagiline, amantadine) were maintained stable during the study. We aimed at evaluating along with the motor outcome (as it is reflected on a disease-specific rating scale), the post-tDCS ...
Source: Psychiatriki - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Psychiatriki Source Type: research