A Device to Treat Bradykinesia in Parkinson's Disease

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案评估了一种原型经皮电运动计时刺激器（TEMTS），它有可能改善帕金森患者的运动障碍/运动迟缓。疾病（PD）。我们将通过一项随机的、假的和实际的20例患者临床研究来评估改进，每个受试者作为自己的对照，利用一系列定量运动性能测试和仪器。TEMTS可以显著提高日常任务的表现，比如走路、做饭、吃饭和个人卫生

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal evaluates a prototype Transcutaneous Electrical Movement Timing Stimulator (TEMTS) with the potential to improve akinesia/ bradykinesia in Parkinson?s Disease (PD). We will evaluate improvements through a randomized sham versus actual 20 patient clinical study with each human subject as its own control, utilizing a battery of quantitative motor performance tests and instrumentation. TEMTS could significantly enhance everyday task performance, such as, walking, cooking, eating, personal hygiene and exercise, improving the quality of life for the 1.2 million people in the U.S. affected by PD. PD is characterized by movement dysfunction resulting from selective neurodegeneration of dopamine producing neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Promisingly, the dysfunction appears to be pharmacologic resulting in reversible physiologic abnormalities. The common scenario of ?paradoxical kinesia?, where PD patients can move normally with correct external sensory cueing, is empirical evidence of even advanced PD patients exhibiting ability to produce normal movements. We have produced and demonstrated in a case study, a sensory cueing device that normalizes many of these PD motor deficits. This proposal evaluates TEMTS performance in a statistically significant patient population and evolves the design to improve efficacy leading to an alternative treatment for PD motor dysfunction.