Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Patients With Isolated Cervical Dystonia (CD)

Cervical dystonia (CD) is a movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions of the neck, leading to abnormal head postures and movement, pain and impaired motor function. Current treatments for CD, such as botulinum toxin injections and physical therapy, may not always provide sufficient relief of symptoms and may fail to offer long-term benefits for patients. As a result, new therapeutic approaches are needed. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that modulates neuronal activity. Recent neurophysiological studies suggest that cerebellar tDCS (ctDCS), in particular, could be beneficial in modulating the activity of the sensorimotor network in CD. This clinical trial aims to investigate the effects of ctDCS on the excitability of the sensorimotor network and motor symptom severity in CD patients. Applying transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) we will evaluate the effects of anodal, cathodal and sham ctDCS to improve the understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying CD and the potential therapeutic role of ctDCS.

NCT Number	NCT07014384
Lead Sponsor	Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
Conditions	Isolated Cervical Dystonia
Enrollment	15 participants
Start Date	2024-09-15
Primary Completion	2025-09-15 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-01-06 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-05-19