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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.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Parkinson's disease (PD) tremor comprises asymmetric rest and postural tremor with unilateral onset. Tremor intensity can be amplified by stress and reduced by attention, and the medical treatment is complex. Mirror movements and unintentional synchronization of bimanual movements, possibly caused by insufficient inhibition of inter-hemispheric crosstalk, have been reported in PD, indicating a lag of lateralization. Potential neuroprotective effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) have been reported in-vitro and in rodents, as have influences of PEMF on human tremor. The aim was to investigate the effect of 8?weeks daily transcranial PEMF treatment (T-PEMF) of persons with PD on rest and postural hand tremor characteristics and on inter-hand coherence. METHODS:Hand accelerations of 50 PD participants with uni- or bilateral tremor participating in a clinical trial were analysed. A rest and postural tremor task performed during serial subtraction was assessed before and after 8?weeks of T-PEMF (30?min/day, 50?Hz, ±50?V, 3?ms squared pulses) or placebo treatment (sham stimulation 30?min/day). Forty matched healthy persons (no treatment) were included as reference. Intensity and inter-hand coherence related measures were extracted. RESULTS:The T-PEMF treatment decreased the inter-hand coherence in the PD group with unilateral postural tremor. The PD group with unilateral postural tremor was less clinically affected by the disease than the PD group with bilateral postural tremor. However, no differences between T-PEMF and placebo treatment on either intensity related or coherence related measures were found when all persons with PD were included in the analyses. The peak power decreased and the tremor intensity tended to decrease in both treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS:Eight weeks of T-PEMF treatment decreased inter-hand coherence in the PD group with unilateral postural tremor, while no effects of T-PEMF treatment were found for the entire PD group. The unilateral postural tremor group was less clinically affected than the bilateral postural tremor group, suggesting that early treatment initiation may be beneficial. In theory, a reduced inter-hand coherence could result from a neuronal treatment response increasing inter-hemispheric inhibition. However, this requires further studies to determine. Studies of even longer treatment periods would be of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT02125032. Registered 29 April 2014, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02125032?term=NCT02125032&rank=1.

SUBMITTER: Malling ASB

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6357382 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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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.

Malling Anne Sofie Bøgh ASB Morberg Bo Mohr BM Wermuth Lene L Gredal Ole O Bech Per P Jensen Bente Rona BR

Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation 20190131 1

<h4>Background</h4>Parkinson's disease (PD) tremor comprises asymmetric rest and postural tremor with unilateral onset. Tremor intensity can be amplified by stress and reduced by attention, and the medical treatment is complex. Mirror movements and unintentional synchronization of bimanual movements, possibly caused by insufficient inhibition of inter-hemispheric crosstalk, have been reported in PD, indicating a lag of lateralization. Potential neuroprotective effects of pulsed electromagnetic f ...[more]

PMID: 30704504

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Project description: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.

Project description:Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a chronic condition of unknown etiology. MCS is characterized by recurrent nonspecific symptoms from multiple organ systems in response to chemical exposures in concentrations that are normally tolerated by the majority of the population. The symptoms may have severe impact on patients' lives, but an evidence-based treatment for the condition is nonexisting. The pathophysiology is unclarified, but several indicators point towards abnormal processing of sensory signals in the central nervous system. Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) offer a promising new treatment for refractory depression and can be targeted at the brain, thereby activating biochemical cell processes.In a parallel, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted at the Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities, the effects of PEMF in MCS patients will be assessed using the Re5 Independent System. Based on sample size estimation, 40 participants will be randomized to either PEMF therapy or placebo. The allocation sequence will be generated by computer. All involved parties (that is, participants, investigators, the research nurse, and the statistician) will be blinded to group allocation. The participants will receive PEMF therapy or placebo applied transcranially 30 minutes twice a day for 7 days a week over 6 consecutive weeks. Outcomes will be measured at baseline, once weekly during treatment, post treatment, and at 2.5-month and 4.5-month follow-up according to a predefined timetable. The primary outcome will be a measurement of the impact of MCS on everyday life. The secondary outcomes will be measurements of MCS symptoms, psychological distress (stress, anxiety or depressive symptoms), capsaicin-induced secondary punctate hyperalgesia, immunological markers in serum, and quality of life.This trial will assess the effects of PEMF therapy for MCS. Currently, there is no treatment with a documented effect on MCS, and in terms of healthcare there is very little to offer these patients. There is thus a great need for well-conducted randomized trials aimed at assessing possible treatment effects. A positive outcome will pave the way for improved healthcare and understanding of this very disabling and overlooked condition.ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01834781.

Project description:BackgroundParkinson's disease is characterized by motor dysfunctions including bradykinesia. In a recent study, eight weeks of daily transcranial stimulation with bipolar pulsed electromagnetic fields improved functional rate of force development and decreased inter-hand tremor coherence in patients with mild Parkinson's disease.ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of long-term treatment with transcranial bipolar pulsed electromagnetic fields on motor performance in terms of movement speed and on neurotrophic and angiogenic factors.MethodsPatients diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's disease had either daily 30-min treatment with bipolar (±50 V) transcranial pulsed electromagnetic stimulation (squared pulses, 3ms duration) for three eight-week periods separated by one-week pauses (T-PEMF group) (n = 16) or were included in a PD-control group (n = 8). Movement speed was assessed in a six-cycle sit-to-stand task performed on a force plate. Cerebrospinal fluid and venous blood were collected and analyzed for erythropoietin and vascular endothelial growth factor.ResultsMajor significant improvement of movement speed compared to the natural development of the disease was found (p = 0.001). Thus, task completion time decreased gradually during the treatment period from 10.10s to 8.23s (p<0.001). The untreated PD-control group did not change (p = 0.458). The treated group did not differ statistically from that of a healthy age matched reference group at completion of treatment. Erythropoietin concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid also increased significantly in the treated group (p = 0.012).ConclusionLong-term treatment with transcranial bipolar pulsed electromagnetic fields increased movement speed markedly and elevated erythropoietin levels. We hypothesize that treatment with transcranial bipolar pulsed electromagnetic fields improved functional performance by increasing dopamine levels in the brain, possibly through erythropoietin induced neural repair and/or protection of dopaminergic neurons.

Project description:Pro-inflammatory cytokines are recognized contributors to intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration and discogenic pain. We have recently reported the anti-inflammatory effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) on IVD cells in vitro. Whether these potentially therapeutic effects are sufficiently potent to influence disc health in vivo has not been demonstrated. We report here the effect of PEMF on acute inflammation arising from a rat-tail IVD injury model. Disc degeneration was induced by percutaneously stabbing the Co6-7, Co7-8, and Co8-9 levels using a 20-gauge needle. Seventy-two (72) rats were divided into three groups: sham control, needle stab, needle stab+PEMF. Treated rats were exposed to PEMF immediately following surgery and for either 4 or 7?days (4 hr/d). Stab and PEMF effects were evaluated by measuring inflammatory cytokine gene expression (RT-PCR) and protein levels (ELISA assay), anabolic and catabolic gene expression (RT-PCR), and histologic changes. We observed in untreated animals that at day 7 after injury, inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, tumor necrosis factor ?, and IL-1?) were significantly increased at both gene and protein levels (P?<?.05). Similarly, catabolic factors (MMP [metalloproteinases]-2, MMP-13 and the transcriptional factor NF-k? gene expression) were significantly increased (P?<?.05). At day 7, PEMF treatment significantly inhibited inflammatory cytokine gene and protein expression induced by needle stab injury (P?<?.05). At day 4, PEMF downregulated FGF-1 and upregulated MMP-2 compared to the stab-only group. These data demonstrate that previously reported anti-inflammatory effects of PEMF on disc cells carry over to the in vivo situation, suggesting potential therapeutic benefits. Though we observed an inhibitory effect of PEMF on acute inflammatory cytokine expression, a consistent effect was not observed for acute changes in disc histology and anabolic and catabolic factor expression. Therefore, these findings should be further investigated in studies of longer duration following needle-stab injury.

Project description:BackgroundThe value of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) in postoperative pain management, due to the inconsistent findings so far, remains unclear. We extended the evaluation of PEMF on postoperative pain and intravenous (IV) analgesic use to a group of post-appendicectomy Asian patients.MethodsThis is a double-blinded, randomized trial. Adults with a clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis were enrolled. Patients were allocated randomly to receive an active-PEMF device or an inactive device after the surgery in addition to the standard postoperative pain management. The primary outcome measure was the 12-h cumulative postoperative pain intensity measured at four different time points using the visual analogue scale. The secondary outcome measure was the total amount of IV fentanyl used (in mg) via PCA over the first 12 postoperative hours. The primary analysis in this trial compared the two study groups for the reported cumulative pain score (both at rest and on movement) and the cumulative amount of IV fentanyl uses over the first 12 postoperative hours using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Analyses were performed based on the intention-to-treat principal. Multiple imputation was used to handle the missing data assuming that the data were missing at random.FindingsOne hundred eighteen subjects were randomized; 58 were allocated to the active-PEMF group and 60 to the inactive control group. Pooled mean pain score of both intervention groups by time point declined in a similar fashion over the course of 12 postoperative hours. The 12-h cumulative postoperative pain score at rest and on movement did not differ significantly after the procedure. (W = 1832.5 ~ 1933.0, p-value 0.6192 ~ 0.2985 for resting pain score comparison; W = 1737.0 ~ 1804.5, p-value 0.9892 ~ 0.7296 for movement pain score comparison). For the secondary outcome measure of 12-h total fentanyl use, a comparison between the PEMF vs. placebo arm also revealed no statistically significant difference across all the 20 imputed datasets (W = 1676.5 ~ 1859.0, p-value 0.7344 ~ 0.5234).DiscussionPEMF was not superior to placebo as an adjunct pain management for up to 12 h post-appendicectomy. Previously reported effect of PEMF on postoperative pain intensity and analgesia uses in similar surgical settings cannot be verified.Trial registrationNational Medical Research Register Malaysia (NMRR-15-670-25,805) and Thai Clinical Trials Registry (retrospectively registered on November 01, 2019, Study ID-TCTR20191102002).

Dataset Information

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.

Publications

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.

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