Objective:    To evaluate the independent effects of subthalamic transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) on motor symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and to assess its synergistic benefits when combined with medication in the medication-ON (med-ON) state.

Background:    Subthalamic tTIS has been shown to effectively alleviate motor symptoms in PD patients during the medication-OFF (med-OFF) state. However, its ability to work independently of levodopa and its potential to enhance symptom relief in the med-ON state remain unclear.

Method: This pilot study involved 11 PD patients (age 69.9 ± 6.5 years; 4 females; Hoehn & Yahr stage: 1.5–4; LEDD: xxx.x ± xx.x mg) in a randomized, crossover, single-blind design. Participants received subthalamic tTIS (130 Hz) either in the med-ON state (on regular medication) or med-OFF state (after ≥12 hours of medication withdrawal), with a one-week interval between sessions. Motor symptoms were assessed before and immediately after 20-minute tTIS using the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale Part III (MDS-UPDRS-III). Paired t-tests were used to compare the effects of tTIS and medication as well as their combined effects. Statistical significance was set at α = 0.05.

Results: 1.Subthalamic tTIS without medication significantly reduced UPDRS-III total scores (from 35.1 ± 16.5 to 26.6 ± 14.5), showing comparable effectiveness to medication alone (from 35.1 ± 16.5 to 27.2 ± 13.9; p = 0.595).

2.When combined with medication, tTIS induced a significantly greater reduction in UPDRS-III total scores (50.4%) compared to medication alone (20.7%; p < 0.05).

3.The synergistic benefits of tTIS in the med-ON state were most pronounced for bradykinesia (64.4% reduction with tTIS+medication vs. 16.3% with medication alone; p < 0.05) and rigidity (30.1% vs. 2.6%; p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Subthalamic tTIS provides immediate relief of motor symptoms in PD independently of levodopa, demonstrating comparable efficacy to medication alone in the med-OFF state. Additionally, when combined with levodopa in the med-ON state, tTIS significantly enhances symptom relief, particularly for bradykinesia and rigidity. These findings suggest that tTIS may serve as both an independent therapy and an effective adjunctive treatment for optimizing motor symptom management in PD patients.

« Back to 2025 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/independent-and-synergistic-effects-of-subthalamic-temporal-interference-stimulation-on-motor-symptoms-in-parkinsons-disease/