Personalized deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease
Official title: Simplified, Scalable 24-hour adaptive deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11040802 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new kind of brain stimulation that can change throughout the day to better help people with Parkinson's disease manage their symptoms and improve their daily lives.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | January 15, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,419,954 |
| NIH project number | 1UG3NS140730-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11040802 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals diagnosed with advanced Parkinson's disease who are experiencing motor symptoms that are not adequately controlled by current therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease or those who do not respond to deep brain stimulation may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a new type of deep brain stimulation (DBS) that adapts to the changing needs of Parkinson's disease patients throughout the day. By using advanced technology to monitor neural signals, the stimulation can be adjusted in real-time to improve motor symptoms and enhance quality of life. The approach aims to overcome the limitations of traditional DBS, which does not respond to the dynamic clinical states of patients. The research builds on previous studies that have shown promising results in improving patient outcomes with adaptive DBS.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective and personalized treatment options for patients with Parkinson's disease, significantly improving their daily functioning and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that adaptive DBS can improve motor symptoms and quality of life, indicating a promising direction for this research.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Starr, Philip Andrew — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Starr, Philip Andrew
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.