Protocol for evaluating the effects of tDCS and tACS on brain oscillations and motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen

A structured protocol evaluates how transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) influence brain oscillations and motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The workflow covers patient recruitment with defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, ethical and trial registration procedures, EEG acquisition and stimulation setup, and motor and cognitive symptom assessments. Oscillation analysis is used to characterize neural modulation and link it to changes in rigidity, bradykinesia, tremor, and oscillatory biomarkers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Summary

Before you begin

Innovation

Institutional permissions

Preparation for recruiting patients

Recruit patients with idiopathic PD

Assess co-morbidities and neuromodulation treatments

Assess motor and cognitive symptoms

Preparation of electrodes for electrical stimulation

Determine stimulating electrode position

Align electrodes with the 10–20 EEG system

ll OPEN ACCESS Protocol Protocol for evaluating the effects oftDCS and tACS on brain oscillations and motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease Jiafang Liu, Junjie Bu [bujunjie@ahmu.edu.cn](bujunjie@ahmu.edu.cn) Highlights Steps for assessing tDCS/tACS impactson brain oscillationsand motor symptoms in PD Instructions for patient recruitment, EEG acquisition, and stimulation setup Guidance on motor symptom evaluation and oscillation analysis in PD studies Provides insights into neural mechanisms underlying noninvasive brain stimulation in PD Liu & Bu, STAR Protocols 7, 104245 March 20, 2026 © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. [https://doi.org/10.1016/](https://doi.org/10.1016/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.1016/)[j.xpro.2025.104245](j.xpro.2025.104245) ll OPEN ACCESS Protocol Protocol for evaluating the effects of tDCS and tACS on brain oscillations and motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease Jiafang Liu1 and Junjie Bu 1,2,3,4,* 1School of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China 2The First Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230061, China 3Technical contact 4Lead contact *Correspondence: [bujunjie@ahmu.edu.cn](bujunjie@ahmu.edu.cn) [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2025.104245](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2025.104245) SUMMARY Here, we present a protocol to assess how transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) affect brain oscillations and motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) . We describe steps for patient recruitment, electroencephalogram (EEG), stimulation setup, motor assessment, and oscillation analysis. This protocol allows the evaluation of how tDCS and tACS modulate neural activity and improve motor function, providing insights into the mechanisms of non-invasive brain stimulation in PD. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Liu et al.1 BEFORE YOU BEGIN Innovation This study investigated the mechanisms of tDCS and tACS in modulating EEG oscillations and alleviating motor symptoms in PD. Unlike prior studies that focus solely on a single technique,2 identify both common effects (both techniques alleviate rigidity and bradykinesia by enhancing beta band power) and specific effects (only tDCS alleviates tremor by reducing theta band power) . Reveal that a key advancement is that the theta/beta ratio is a better predictor and mediator of tDCSinduced tremor improvement than theta power alone, thereby providing a new biomarker. Additionally, demonstrate that tDCS alleviates multiple symptoms through broad oscillation regulation, while tACS targets specific oscillations—this deepens our understanding of the pathophysiology of PD motor symptoms and provides a basis for personalized non-invasive stimulation strategies. Institutional permissions The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University granted ethical approval. We registered the trial [at](at ClinicalTrials.gov)[ ClinicalTrials.gov](at ClinicalTrials.gov) (NCT05678725) . All participants gave written informed consent. Preparation for recruiting patients Timing: Approximately 1 h (for 1 participant) STAR Protocols 7, 104245, March 20, 2026 © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ([http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)) . 1 ll OPEN ACCESS Protocol 1. Recruit patients with idiopathic PD who meet the criteria using the standardized UK Parkinson’s Disease Society Brain Bank tool3 and our additional inclusion criteria. a. Right-handed. b. Normal or corrected-to-normal vision. c. Assess participants’ vision using self-report. Note: Do not exclude participants bas

FAQs

What is the purpose of this protocol for Parkinson’s disease studies?

To assess how tDCS and tACS affect brain oscillations and motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease, linking neural modulation to symptom changes.

How are patients selected for the study?

Patients with idiopathic PD are recruited using a standardized UK Parkinson’s Disease Society Brain Bank tool plus additional inclusion criteria; participants are excluded based on conditions such as epilepsy, dementia, secondary parkinsonism, and implanted metal or electronic devices.

Which clinical scales are used to evaluate symptoms?

Motor symptoms are assessed with MDS-UPDRS-III and Hoehn-Yahr staging, and cognitive symptoms are assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen