Real-time brain control to understand Parkinson's movement problems
Understanding Circuit Dynamics in Parkinson's Disease using Real-Time Neural Control
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · NIH-11162412
This project uses a new kind of deep brain stimulation to boost or suppress specific brain rhythms in people with Parkinson's to learn how those rhythms relate to slowness and stiffness.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11162412 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will work with people who have Parkinson's and implanted deep brain stimulation leads to record and change specific brain rhythms in real time. They will use a closed-loop method called evoked-interference DBS that times small electrical pulses to reduce or increase beta-band brain waves. While changing these rhythms, clinicians will measure movement signs like slowness (bradykinesia) and stiffness (rigidity) and record signals across the motor circuit. The team aims to find out whether changing these rhythms actually causes symptom changes or is just associated with them.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Parkinson's who have or are candidates for subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation and who experience noticeable slowness or stiffness are the best fit.
Not a fit: People without DBS implants, those whose symptoms are mainly non-motor, or anyone who cannot undergo brain surgery are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more precise, personalized DBS settings that directly target the brain rhythms causing movement problems.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has linked beta-band brain rhythms to Parkinson's motor symptoms, but proving a causal relationship is still new and this real-time evoked-interference approach is novel.
Where this research is happening
MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA — MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: AMAN, JOSHUA E — UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- Study coordinator: AMAN, JOSHUA E
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.