Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation improves clinical and molecular biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease in patients with freezing of gait

Autor: Banashree Mondal, Supriyo Choudhury, Rebecca Banerjee, Akash Roy, Koustav Chatterjee, Purba Basu, Ravi Singh, Saptak Halder, Shantanu Shubham, Stuart N. Baker, Mark R. Baker, Hrishikesh Kumar
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: npj Parkinson's Disease, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2373-8057
DOI: 10.1038/s41531-021-00190-x
Popis: Abstract Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) is an established neurostimulation therapy used in the treatment of epilepsy, migraine and cluster headache. In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled crossover trial we explored the role of nVNS in the treatment of gait and other motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. In a subgroup of patients, we measured selected neurotrophin levels and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in serum, before and after the experimental intervention. Thirty-three PD patients with associated freezing of gait were randomised to either nVNS or sham. After baseline assessments, patients were instructed to deliver 6 two-minute stimulations (total 12 min/day) of the nVNS/sham device (electroCore, Inc. USA) for one month at home. Patients were then re-assessed. After a washout period of one month, the same patients were allocated to the alternate treatment arm and the same process was followed. Significant improvements in key gait parameters were observed with nVNS, including walking speed, stance time and step length, compared to sham. Similarly, overall motor function (MDS-UPDRS III) also improved significantly following nVNS stimulation. Serum Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-α and glutathione levels decreased and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels increased significantly (p
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