Category: Parkinson’s Disease: Clinical Trials
Objective: To assess the effects of BBS on motor symptoms in PD.
Background: Acoustic stimulation (AS) can improve motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and might therefore represent a potential non-invasive treatment option. Scalp EEG studies in healthy subjects indicate that specifically binaural beat stimulation (BBS) in the gamma frequency range is associated with synchronized cortical oscillations at 40 Hertz (Hz). Several studies suggest that oscillations in the gamma-frequency range (>30 Hz) serve a prokinetic function in PD.
Method: In this double-blind randomized behavioral study, 25 PD patients were recruited. The study was conducted with (ON) and without dopaminergic medication (OFF). Each part consisted of two phases (no stimulation and acoustic stimulation). The acoustic stimulation phase was divided into two blocks including BBS and AS as a control condition. For BBS, 35 Hz were used (left: 320 Hz; right: 355 Hz) and for AS 340 Hz on both sides. We assessed effects on motor performance using Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) and two validated commercially available portable devices measuring motor symptoms such as dyskinesia, bradykinesia and tremor.
Results: Repeated measure ANOVA revealed that BBS did not exert a general positive effect on motor symptoms as assessed using the MDS-UPDRS (F(2,48) = 1.000, p = 0.375 ). However, considering core symptoms of the most affected limb, we found that BBS specifically improved resting tremor in the OFF as measured by wearables (F(2,48) = 3.605, p = 0.035). AS had a more general effect on motor performance (MDS-UPDRS total score OFF medication: F(2,48) = 4.169, p = 0.021; wearable scores: F(2,48) = 2.455, p = 0.097).
Conclusion: In this study, we did not observe a general improvement of motor symptoms in PD with AS or BBS in the gamma frequency range. However, a potential clinical relevance lies in the examination of BBS on tremor-dominant PD patients, as a significant reduction of resting tremor in the OFF-condition was observed. Future studies are needed to confirm this association.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
A. Calvano, L. Timmermann, C. Oehrn, I. Weber. Binaural acoustic stimulation reduces tremor severity in patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2022; 37 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/binaural-acoustic-stimulation-reduces-tremor-severity-in-patients-suffering-from-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed June 14, 2025.« Back to 2022 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/binaural-acoustic-stimulation-reduces-tremor-severity-in-patients-suffering-from-parkinsons-disease/