Neural Mechanism of Skill Transfer in Parkinson's Disease
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.
• 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.