Brain stimulation in movement disorders
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Brain stimulation in movement disorders
IRAS ID
147330
Contact name
Clare Eddy
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
This study will explore the usefulness of brain stimulation in improving the cognitive performance of patients with movement disorders. We will also investigate the effect of brain stimulation on motor symptoms and mood. The selected technique (transcranial direct current stimulation: tDCS) does not involve surgery and simply involves holding two electrodes on the top of the person’s head for a short period of time (15 minutes) while they generate a small electrical current (1.5mA). tDCS has been trialled in many human studies in both healthy samples and patients with clinical disorders (e.g. depression, stroke). Specific parts of the brain may be chosen in order to affect particular brain functions related to e.g. memory, word finding, mood. Published research suggests that brain stimulation can enhance brain function and could help to treat the symptoms of disorders such as depression and stroke. More work is needed in disorders where tDCS has yet to be applied, and to examine the duration of the effect and whether it could help treat symptoms in the longer term. \n\nThis project will involve blinded controlled trials of tDCS in two movement disorders: Tourette syndrome (TS) and Huntington’s disease (TD). In these conditions, changes deep within the brain can have a knock on effect on higher brain regions important for thinking and reasoning, as well as brain regions involved in motor control. This study will explore whether tDCS of particular brain regions could help improve these patients’ memory and concentration, exert any effects on motor and mood symptoms, see if there could be any side effects and explore which factors (e.g. symptom severity) could be related to response to brain stimulation treatment. Finally, we will use neuroimaging to explore the effect of tDCS on brain activity.
REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/WM/0119
Date of REC Opinion
1 May 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion