Targeted thalamus stimulation to reduce voice tremor
Official title: ADVANCING THALAMIC NEUROSTIMULATION FOR SUPPRESING ESSENTIAL VOICE TREMOR
Funded at University of Florida · NIH-11237070 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Seeing if targeted deep brain stimulation of a thalamus region can reduce voice tremor in people with essential tremor.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | December 11, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $356,766 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS131342-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11237070 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with essential tremor who have troublesome voice tremor and are eligible for or already undergoing thalamic DBS treatment.
✕Less likely to help
People without voice tremor, those with other causes of voice problems, or patients who are not DBS candidates are unlikely to benefit from this research.
What this research studies
If you join, you will have detailed voice recordings and clinical ratings before and after thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS), and researchers will precisely map where the DBS leads sit in the thalamus. The team will use acoustic analysis and expert listening ratings to measure changes in voice tremor across a larger group than prior case reports. They will combine speech measures with brain imaging and stimulation mapping to find the thalamic locations that best reduce voice and hand tremor. The goal is to determine specific stimulation targets that could guide treatment for people whose voice is affected by essential tremor.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify DBS targets that meaningfully reduce voice tremor and improve communication and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: A few small case reports suggest DBS can help voice tremor, but there are no large, systematic studies confirming the best thalamic targets.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Christou, Evangelos a — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Christou, Evangelos a
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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.