Noninvasive brain stimulation for motor function and quality of life in Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

First published online October 15, 2026. Selected stimulation approaches ranked well for motor scores, but the highest-ranked quality-of-life approaches did not significantly outperform sham.

Hu S, Liu J, Wang F, Wang G, Zhi Y, Gao X, Kim D.
Journal of Clinical Neuroscience · Publication date: 2026-10-15
Added to site: 2026-10-16
DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2026.112347

First published online October 15, 2026; the Crossref issue date is January 2027.

Modalities

TMS, tDCS

Clinical focus

Parkinson's disease, Motor function, Quality of life

Population

People with Parkinson's disease

Sample

45 randomized trials, 2,354 participants and 17 noninvasive brain-stimulation interventions

Intervention / method

Network comparison of rTMS, theta-burst and tDCS target and frequency configurations for short- and long-term motor and quality-of-life outcomes.

Comparator

Sham stimulation and indirect network comparisons among 17 intervention configurations

Clinician summary

cTBS over SMA was top-ranked for short-term UPDRS-III and differed from sham by -9.80 points (95% CI -17.55 to -2.05). HF-rTMS over M1 plus SMA ranked highest long term at -10.05 points (95% CI -18.67 to -1.42). Top PDQ-39 comparisons were not significant.

How to interpret the findings

Network rankings do not prove superiority for an individual patient. Heterogeneity, trial quality, protocol variation and safety details could not be fully verified from the abstract, and quality-of-life findings were null.

Equipment and disclosures

Multiple stimulation approaches and devices were pooled; manufacturers were not verified in the abstract. No BrainMaster attribution.

Funding and conflicts were not available in the checked abstract. No correction, retraction or concern relation appeared in the Crossref record; this is a bounded check. AI-assisted review.

Related evidence

Compare findings from the same clinical area, including mixed results.

• Anisotropic conductivity modeling for tDCS in Parkinson’s disease using multidimensional diffusion MRI · Positive with limitations
• Therapeutic uses of surface electromyography for rehabilitation: An emerging tool across clinical applications. · Positive with limitations
• Explorative investigation on effects of multi-day neurofeedback with implanted electrodes in patients with Parkinson's disease. · Mixed
• High-frequency rTMS over supplementary motor or primary motor cortex on reach-to-grasp in Parkinson's disease: A randomised controlled trial. · Positive with limitations
• Subthalamic DBS Engages Right-lateralized Frontal Control to Improve Gait Adaptation in Parkinson's Disease. · Positive with limitations