Post-trial access and ongoing care for people with implanted brain stimulation devices
Official title: Post-trial Access, Clinical Care, Psychosocial Support, and Scientific Progress in Experimental Deep Brain Stimulation Research
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11382327 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores how to help people who received deep brain stimulation keep benefiting from the devices after trials end, including care, support, and navigation of new life with the technology.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 18, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $407,424 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH133657-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11382327 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who have undergone DBS trials for neurological or psychiatric conditions and are navigating post-trial access and long-term care.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not recently involved in DBS trials or without long-term access needs may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
If you or a loved one has an implanted brain stimulation device, this project tackles what happens after a trial ends. It looks at how to keep the device working well, ensure access to ongoing support, and help families adapt to life with the implant. The research will examine psychosocial needs, care pathways, and practical ways to maintain device function and quality of life. It also considers how clinics and caregiversCoordinate post-trial care and how insurance and funding affect long-term access to beneficial interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Potentially smoother transition to life with an implant and improved ongoing access to beneficial neural therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous DBS trials show symptom relief for some, but long-term post-trial access remains a gap; this research seeks to address that.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lazaro-Munoz, Gabriel — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Lazaro-Munoz, Gabriel
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Cerebellar Deep Brain Stimulation for Spinocerebellar Ataxias
A preliminary clinical trial will test delivering electrical stimulation to the cerebellum in people with spinocerebellar ataxia to see if it improves balance and coordination.
-
Improving deep brain stimulation with MRI and AI
We use brain scans and artificial intelligence to speed up and personalize deep brain stimulation settings for people getting DBS.
-
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.
-
Automated programming for personalized deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease
Aims to create an AI-powered system that automatically tunes the brain stimulation settings for people with Parkinson’s disease to improve benefits and reduce side effects.
-
Ventral pallidum brain stimulation for epilepsy
A brain stimulation therapy in people with epilepsy whose seizures aren’t controlled by medicines or surgery is being studied to see if it can help achieve seizure freedom.
-
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.
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.