Frontal aperiodic activity and sensorimotor theta clustering are differentially modulated by tDCS during proprioceptive training in Parkinson's disease: An EEG study.
Hasti Heydarpour, Mohammed N Ashtiani, Farid Bahrpeyma et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled EEG study examined whether anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the supplementary motor area altered neural measures during proprioceptive training in 24 people with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease. Participants received six sessions of active or sham tDCS alongside training, with EEG recorded during quiet standing before and after the intervention. Group-by-time differences occurred in frontal aperiodic exponent, offset, and Lempel-Ziv complexity, and in central complexity and theta clustering. In the sham group, frontal complexity increased by +108%; these measures increased in central regions, whereas they decreased with active tDCS.
Key findings
- Frontal group-by-time interactions were significant for aperiodic exponent (p=0.022), aperiodic offset (p=0.005), and Lempel-Ziv complexity (p<0.001).
- Frontal Lempel-Ziv complexity increased by +108% in the sham group, while active tDCS values remained stable or decreased.
- Central Lempel-Ziv complexity (p=0.035) and theta clustering (p=0.014) showed significant interactions, increasing with sham and decreasing with active tDCS.
- No significant interactions were observed in parietal, temporal, or occipital regions, or in global parameters.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that adding tDCS to proprioceptive training may alter frontal and central EEG patterns in Parkinson’s disease. These measures could help characterize neural responses to rehabilitation, although the study reports EEG outcomes rather than demonstrating improvements in balance, gait, or falls. The results therefore offer mechanistic evidence, not proof of clinical benefit.
What to keep in mind
The study included 24 participants with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease and assessed EEG during quiet standing before and after the intervention; the abstract does not report clinical balance, gait, or fall outcomes.