Acupuncture for improving gait disturbance in Parkinson's disease: A study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial

This trial will evaluate clinical effects of acupuncture in PD patients, and will confirm whether acupuncture alters neurotransmitter levels and associated activities. We expect improvement in gait parameters, changes in motor and prefrontal cortex activity, and changes in neurotransmitter activity, thereby providing insight into the therapeutic mechanism of acupuncture in PD and supporting further studies of whether acupuncture may improve motor symptoms in PD.