Efficacy and Safety of Transcranial dIrect Current stiMulation (tDCS) in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) (STIM-PSP)

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by deposition of tau and motor, cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Since no effective treatment is available, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, such as tDCS, could be a valid complementary therapeutic approach. The tDCS modulates the spontaneous activity of the neural network by applying a direct current flow on the cortical brain areas (anodic or cathodic stimulation). Despite its efficacy in psychiatric disorders, the therapeutic use of tDCS in neurodegenerative diseases requires more systematic studies. The aim of this study is to verify the safety and efficacy of tDCS in PSP on motor, cognitive and behavioral symptoms.

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of PSP according with Movement Disorder Society (MDS) criteria (Hoglinger et al., 2017);
• Age > 40 and < 89 years;
• Presence of a caregiver supportive the patient for all study procedure;
• Ability to walk for at least 5 steps either independently or with a minimum support (another patients holding patient's arm or with a walker)

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of electrical stimulators (for example, pacemaker, Deep Brain Stimulation, DBS)
• Difficult in understanding Italian language
• Presence of severe sensory deficits (for example, visual or hearing impairments)
• Education level <5 years
• History of drug abuse
• History of severe psychiatric disorders
• History of transient ischemic attacks
• Cortical or sub-cortical vascular lesions
• Seizures or severe heart problems and previous neurosurgical operations
• Absence of subjective cognitive deficits
• MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) score <20
• Left-handedness