Brain imaging to predict who will benefit from deep brain stimulation for freezing of gait
Imaging Biomarkers of Freezing of Gait Response to Deep Brain Stimulation
Researchers will use advanced brain scans to find patterns that show which people with Parkinson's disease and freezing of gait are likely to improve after subthalamic deep brain stimulation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11175257 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have Parkinson's disease with troublesome freezing of gait and are planning for subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS), the team will take detailed MRI scans and perform movement and behavior tests before and after surgery. They will use diffusion MRI to map structural connections from the stimulation site and BOLD functional MRI to see brain activity changes when the stimulator is on. The study will compare people whose freezing improves with those who do not to identify brain connectivity and microstructure differences linked to benefit. Findings aim to guide where and how to place or program DBS to reduce freezing for more patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with Parkinson's disease who experience disabling freezing of gait and are planning to undergo or are eligible for STN deep brain stimulation surgery.
Not a fit: People without Parkinson's, those who do not have freezing of gait, or patients not undergoing DBS are unlikely to directly benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help doctors predict who will benefit from STN-DBS and personalize stimulation to reduce freezing of gait.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research shows STN-DBS helps roughly half of patients with freezing of gait and imaging studies have suggested connectivity differences, but combining diffusion and BOLD imaging to predict individual response is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Charleston, United States
- Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Revuelta, Gonzalo Javier — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Revuelta, Gonzalo Javier
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 below.