Accelerated TMS for Apathy in PD

This single-site, open-label pilot study will evaluate the feasibility, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of accelerated intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) targeting the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) for apathy in individuals with Parkinson's Disease (PD). Fifteen participants with PD and clinically significant apathy will undergo six treatment visits over two weeks, receiving eight iTBS sessions per day. Outcomes include adherence, tolerability, changes in apathy (Lille Apathy Rating Scale), functional engagement, and neural target engagement assessed via resting-state fMRI and EEG. Follow-up assessments will occur at two and four weeks post-treatment.

This study is designed to explore a new treatment option for people with Parkinson's disease who experience apathy, which means loss of motivation or interest in daily activities. Apathy is common in Parkinson's disease and can lower quality of life, but current treatments are limited. Investigators are testing whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is tolerable, acceptable and can be used to improve apathy in patients with Parkinson's disease. TMS delivers brief magnetic pulses to specific areas of the brain that are linked to motivation and decision-making. In this study, Investigators will use an "accelerated" version of TMS, which gives several short sessions in a single day, reducing the number of visits required. The purpose of this research is to see whether this treatment approach is feasible, tolerable and and potentially effective at treating apathy in people with Parkinson's disease. If successful, this research study will hopefully lead to a larger study in the future where the efficacy of the treatments can be studied.