I just found out the NIH is conducting a clinical trial for TMS in Maryland....since a course of this therapy costs between 8-10K, if anyone is in this location, you might want to consider going. I wish we lived closer, we'd be there like yesterday.

TMS is a lower level of ECT, and has, in studies, made PD symptoms better, although not as pronounced an improvement as with ECT (also not as dangerous though).

Other countries are conducting trials on this for PD, but this one is here at home. They are looking for 30 people, and the study concludes in 2010.

Oh, forgot to add this: TMS is currently FDA approved only for depression. Many, many people with PD have depression, so if you are one of those folks, that would be another reason to sign up for this trial. It may just help you with your PD symptoms AND depression. One fellow at Columbia that I spoke with told me that it really does help the depression, they have had several folks reduce their antidepressants and one person got off all their antidepression meds completely. And no side effects!