Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41932202›Full record

Trial reportEBioMedicine2026

Transcranial temporal interference stimulation targeting the subthalamic region for motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: a pilot, randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled crossover study.

Chenhao Yang, Yongxin Xu, Yichao Du, Xiaonan Shen, Tingting Li, Nan Chen, Yulian Zhu, Lingyan Huang, Jiaojiao Lü, Lu Li and 9 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in EBioMedicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Chenhao YangKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Yongxin XuKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Yichao DuKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Xiaonan ShenKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Tingting LiKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Nan ChenDepartment of Rehabilitation, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Yulian ZhuDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Lingyan HuangKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Jiaojiao LüKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Lu LiKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Zhenyu QianKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Zhen WangSchool of Martial Arts, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Ulf ZiemannDepartment of Neurology and Stroke, and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Nir GrossmanDepartment of Brain Sciences, and UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Alvaro Pascual-LeoneHinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Roslindale, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health, Hebrew SeniorLife, Roslindale, MA, USA.
Brad ManorHinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Roslindale, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Chencheng ZhangDepartment of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Junhong ZhouHinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Roslindale, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: Junhongzhou@hsl.harvard.edu.
Yu LiuKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: yuliu@sus.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNeuromodulation targeting the subthalamic region has shown clinical benefit for alleviating motor symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Transcranial temporal interference stimulation (TIs) offers a non-invasive approach warranting clinical evaluation. We aimed to examine the feasibility/safety and preliminary effects of single-session, individualised TIs targeting the subthalamic nucleus (STN)-region on motor symptoms in people with PD.

methodsThis randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled 2 × 2 within-participant crossover study was conducted in Shanghai, China (May 24-August 31, 2024; ChiCTR2400084797). Thirty people with early-to-mid-stage idiopathic PD (Hoehn and Yahr 1.5-3) were enrolled. In the medication-off state, participants received 20 min of 130 Hz TIs targeting the STN-region or active sham in randomised order; the montage was individualised using structural MRI. Feasibility/safety outcomes included compliance, adverse events, and blinding guesses. Motor symptoms were assessed at baseline and immediately, 30 min, and 60 min post-stimulation using MDS-UPDRS-III. Primary treatment effects outcomes were responder rate (≥5-point reduction) and MDS-UPDRS-III total score change; secondary outcomes included subscores.

findingsNo serious adverse events occurred. Any adverse event was reported by 21/30 (70.0%) after TIs and 21/27 (77.8%) after sham (risk difference [TIs-sham] -6.9%, 95% CI: -21.6 to 7.7; P = 0.352); perceived stimulation was similar across conditions. Responder rate was statistically significantly higher after TIs than sham (70% vs 15%; risk difference 56.3%, 95% CI: 38.3-74.4; P < 0.001). Compared with sham, TIs was associated with greater reductions in MDS-UPDRS-III total score (mean difference [TIs-sham] 4.18 immediately, 6.83 at 30 min, and 6.12 at 60 min; all 95% CIs excluded 0; P < 0.001), with statistically significant between-condition differences at all post-stimulation time points. Bradykinesia and tremor showed similar response patterns, whereas effects for rigidity and axial signs were not consistent.

interpretationIn this pilot crossover study, a single session of TIs targeting the STN-region was feasible and well tolerated, and was associated with short-term improvements in motor symptoms compared with sham. Larger trials are warranted to confirm efficacy, durability, repeated-session dosing, and anatomical specificity, with continued emphasis on risk-benefit reporting.

fundingNational Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC11932013).

Indexed as

Parkinson DiseaseSubthalamic NucleusTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAgedCross-Over StudiesDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsTreatment OutcomeNon-invasive deep brain stimulationParkinson's diseaseSubthalamic nucleusTranscranial temporal interference stimulation

Identifiers

PMID41932202
PMCPMC13085028

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.