Understanding How Movements Are Transferred From Task to Task in Parkinson's Disease

Summary

The purpose of this study is to understand how a specific brain area, the Posterior Parietal Cortex (PPC), plays a role in movement transfer from walking on a split-belt treadmill (SBT) to walking on the ground in people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Here, investigators will apply repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to upregulate the PPC. Then, the differences in the gait parameters between pre- and post-interventions will be compared between the TMS-active and the TMS-sham.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

* a confirmed diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease
* absence of freezing of gait confirmed by a "No" answer to the second item of the New Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (NFOGQ) and no observation of FOG during a freezing provoking test
* no other neurological diagnosis
* no severe musculoskeletal/orthopedic or vestibular condition that interferes with walking and or significantly affects balance
* no mild cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment ≥ 25)
* able to walk independently and without assistive device for 30 minutes
* no previous experience with split-belt treadmill.

Exclusion Criteria:

* severe dyskinesia that interacts with walking and balance hearing or visual impairment
* observed inability to walk safely on a tied-belt treadmill
* neurological disorders other than PD or other pathology (e.g., orthopedic) interfering with mobility. - contradiction for TMS
* implanted deep brain stimulator.

Conditions2

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