Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Department of Clinical Research/BRIDGE, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
PLoS One. 2021 Apr 28;16(4):e0248800. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248800. eCollection 2021.
Parkinson'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.
To 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.
Patients 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.
Major 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).
Long-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.
帕金森病的特征是运动功能障碍，包括运动迟缓。在最近的一项研究中，八周的每日经颅刺激双相脉冲电磁场治疗改善了轻度帕金森病患者的功能性力量发展速度，并降低了双手震颤的相干性。
研究长期经颅双相脉冲电磁场治疗对运动速度和神经营养及血管生成因子的运动表现的影响。
诊断为特发性帕金森病的患者接受每日 30 分钟的双相（±50V）经颅脉冲电磁场刺激（方形脉冲，3ms 持续时间）治疗，分为三个 8 周的治疗期，中间间隔一周的休息期（T-PEMF 组）（n=16）或纳入 PD 对照组（n=8）。运动速度通过在力板上进行的六次坐立站起任务来评估。采集脑脊液和静脉血，分析促红细胞生成素和血管内皮生长因子。
与疾病的自然发展相比，运动速度有显著的改善（p=0.001）。因此，在治疗期间，任务完成时间逐渐从 10.10s 减少到 8.23s（p<0.001）。未接受治疗的 PD 对照组没有变化（p=0.458）。治疗组在治疗结束时与健康年龄匹配的参考组没有统计学差异。脑脊液中的促红细胞生成素浓度也显著增加（p=0.012）。
长期经颅双相脉冲电磁场治疗显著提高了运动速度，并提高了促红细胞生成素水平。我们假设经颅双相脉冲电磁场治疗通过增加大脑中的多巴胺水平来改善功能表现，可能通过促红细胞生成素诱导的神经修复和/或保护多巴胺能神经元。
