Improving brain-circuit stimulation to ease movement and thinking problems in Parkinson's disease
Optimizing pallidofugal modulation of midbrain and thalamic nuclei for treating cognitive-motor signs of Parkinson's disease
The team is testing whether targeting specific brain circuits with stimulation can ease walking, attention, and motivation problems in people with Parkinson's disease.
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 ID | NIH-11162409 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's viewpoint, researchers are mapping how a deep brain area (the globus pallidus) talks to midbrain and thalamic regions that influence walking, attention switching, and motivation in Parkinson's disease. They use a well-established primate model of Parkinson's and record brain signals with wireless implants while the animals move freely and perform cognitive-motor tasks. The project alters stimulation patterns and measures how those changes affect the identified circuits and behavior. The goal is to guide better brain stimulation approaches that could one day target the specific problems that do not respond well to medication.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Parkinson's disease who have persistent walking difficulties, trouble shifting attention or behavior, or reduced goal-directed motivation despite standard treatments would be the ideal eventual candidates.
Not a fit: Patients whose symptoms are well controlled with medication or whose main issues are isolated tremor without gait or cognitive-motor deficits may not benefit directly from this line of work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could point to new deep brain stimulation targets or settings that specifically improve levodopa-resistant gait, task-switching, and motivation problems in Parkinson's disease.
How similar studies have performed: Deep brain stimulation has improved many motor signs of Parkinson's in past studies, but targeting these specific pallidofugal pathways for gait, set-shifting, and motivation is relatively new and has mainly been explored in animal models so far.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnson, Matthew Douglas — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Johnson, Matthew Douglas
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.