Objective: Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with non-motor complications such as sleep disturbance and depression. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) showed therapeutic effects on the motor dysfunctions. However, the potential effects of tDCS therapy on melatonin hormone, sleep dysfunctions, and depression in patients with PD still unclear. This feasibility study aimed to identify any potential changes in melatonin serum level, sleep functions and depression after the bilateral anodal tDCS in patients with PD.
Material and methods: Tensessions of bilateral anodal tDCS stimulation applied over left and right prefrontal and motor areas were given to twenty-five patients with PD. Melatonin serum level, Pittsburgh sleep quality index, and geriatric depression scale examined before and after tDCS stimulation.
Results: After bilateral anodal tDCS, there was a significant reduction in melatonin serum level, improvement in depression, improvements in overall sleep quality, and sleep latency. Correlations test showed significant associations between melatonin serum level reduction and changes in subjective sleep quality, and sleep duration, as well as between improvements in depression and overall sleep quality, sleep latency, and sleep disturbance.
Conclusion: Bilateral anodal tDCS therapy was a feasible and safe tool that showed potential therapeutic effects on melatonin serum level, sleep quality, and depression level in patients with PD. Although the further large scale and randomized-control trial studies are crucially needed, there is still a need for such a feasibility study to be established before such trials can be implemented as is recommended in the new medical research council guidelines.
Keywords: Depression; Melatonin; Parkinson’s Disease; Sleep; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation.