One Year Later: Catching up With Parkinson’s Foundation Research Grantee Milton Biagioni, MD

One year after the Parkinson’s Foundation awarded $500,000 in research grants to address critical unmet needs in Parkinson’s disease (PD), we check in with one of three of the researchers making a difference right now.

Researchers were tasked with jumpstarting practical solutions to ease difficulties related to cognition, fatigue and sleep, all debilitating yet under-recognized symptoms in Parkinson’s. They have each received a grant funded through the Parkinson’s Foundation Community Choice Research Awards, the first program to set research priorities based on the insights of people living with Parkinson’s.

Milton Biagioni, MD, received a research grant to study the "At-home Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for Fatigue and Cognitive Slowing" at The Marlene and Paolo Fresco Institute for Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders at NYU Langone, a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence.

Q: Can you explain your study in less than 100 words?

A: I am studying the likelihood and usefulness of a portable, non-invasive, brain stimulation device to alleviate fatigue and cognitive slowing in people with Parkinson’s. These are two of the most prevalent symptoms responsible for disability and for reducing quality of life in people with PD. To date there are no proven effective treatments available for either symptom. In this study we use a specially designed transcranial direct current stimulator (tDCS) device through a new method of remote supervision. The therapy is done in the participant’s home through video-conferencing.

A: For the study, it was necessary for participants to be able to perform tele-monitored sessions with the device at home. We were a bit concerned about potential barriers in our participant’s ability to operate the technology, however, our experience has been positive and encouraging. In addition, PD participants were happy to participate from the comfort of their homes.
A: Thus far, we have safely completed 330 remotely-supervised tDCS (RS-tDCS) sessions. RS tDCS is able to be done at home, with few adverse side effects. Preliminary results suggest fatigue improvement and that 20 sessions of tDCS seem more promising than 10 sessions in treating fatigue. Ongoing work will allow for testing of additional participants and aid in determining the ability to treat cognition. Our study’s paradigm could be influential in developing large clinical trials with safe participation from a participant’s home, bringing the PD community into the forefront of non-invasive brain stimulation therapy research.