Deep brain stimulation tailored to brain circuits for Parkinson's
Official title: Circuit-based deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11162394 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses deep brain stimulation aimed at specific brain circuits to help people with Parkinson’s disease improve movement and thinking problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $2,253,194 |
| NIH project number | 5P50NS123109-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11162394 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with Parkinson's disease who have troublesome motor symptoms, gait dysfunction, or whose symptoms are not fully controlled by levodopa and who are candidates for DBS are the most likely candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with very early or mild Parkinson's not considered for DBS, those with other non-Parkinson movement disorders, or those with severe dementia are less likely to benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
If you take part, doctors will record brain activity from areas such as the subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus while you rest and perform movement and thinking tasks. They will compare how your brain and symptoms respond to different treatments, including DBS, levodopa, and the combination of both, and use new sensing devices (Percept) to link brain signals to problems like gait or freezing. MRI-based computer models and functional brain scans will be used to map the pathways that change with stimulation. Complementary lab work in non-human primates will study the circuit changes behind cognitive-motor symptoms to help interpret the human findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more precise DBS settings that better reduce movement and gait problems while protecting thinking skills.
How similar studies have gone: Traditional DBS has helped many people with Parkinson's, but using brain-circuit signals to tailor stimulation is a newer approach that is promising but still being tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vitek, Jerrold L — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Vitek, Jerrold L
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Adaptive deep brain stimulation to help Parkinson's patients respond to daily changes
A new, smarter brain stimulation approach for Parkinson’s disease aims to automatically adjust therapy throughout the day to better control symptoms.
-
TinyML-powered closed-loop DBS for Parkinson's disease
A small, energy-efficient brain-stimulation system using lightweight AI runs on an implanted device to adapt DBS in real time for people with Parkinson's disease.
-
Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease
A safety-focused study tests a new brain-stimulation device that could tailor therapy for people with Parkinson’s by adapting stimulation based on brain signals and sleep stages.
-
Theta Burst Deep Brain Stimulation for Cognitive and Motor Benefits in Parkinson’s-Related Dementia
A study from USC will test a new brain stimulation approach to help people with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia improve thinking skills and movement.
-
Spatiotemporal Tuning of Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease
Aims to personalize deep brain stimulation by adjusting where and when the brain is stimulated to better control Parkinson’s symptoms.
-
Understanding sleep problems in Parkinson’s disease using at-home brain recordings and adaptive stimulation
Scientists are testing how brain signals during sleep relate to sleep problems in Parkinson’s and whether a special DBS device at home can improve sleep by adapting stimulation.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.