Why walking suddenly stops in Parkinson's — brain recordings with virtual reality
Official title: Leveraging invasive recordings and immersive virtual reality to characterize freezing of gait mechanisms in Parkinson disease
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11305205 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using brain sensors, EEG, motion capture, and a virtual-reality walking setup, researchers will look for specific brain signals when people with Parkinson's disease suddenly freeze while walking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $537,266 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS140283-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11305205 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with Parkinson's disease who experience freezing of gait — particularly those who have or can receive sensing-capable GPi deep brain stimulation leads — are the primary candidates, with some participants without FOG included for comparison.
✕Less likely to help
People without Parkinson's, and people with Parkinson's who do not experience freezing or who cannot/will not have implantable brain sensors, are unlikely to be eligible or receive direct benefit.
What this research studies
You would walk through a realistic virtual-reality environment while your brain activity, eye gaze, and body movements are recorded. Some participants will have sensing-capable deep brain stimulation (DBS) leads in the globus pallidus internus (GPi) to capture invasive neural recordings alongside scalp EEG. Motion-capture and eye-tracking will document the exact moments of freezing triggered by everyday scenarios in the VR world. Researchers will compare people with and without freezing of gait to link specific brain rhythms to the start, duration, and recovery of freezing episodes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to brain-based markers that guide new neuromodulation treatments to reduce freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies using scalp EEG and sensing DBS have linked brain rhythms to movement, but combining invasive GPi recordings with immersive VR to reliably provoke and measure freezing of gait is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
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University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cross, Kathryn Amy — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Cross, Kathryn Amy
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding the causes of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease using advanced technology
This study is looking at how freezing of gait happens in people with advanced Parkinson's disease by monitoring brain activity while they walk in virtual reality, with the hope of finding new ways to help improve their movement.
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Personalized closed-loop treatment for freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease
A new implantable brain device trial aims to reduce freezing of gait in people with Parkinson’s by using on-device brain signals to guide stimulation in real time.
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Imaging clues to how deep brain stimulation helps freezing of gait in Parkinson’s
This study uses brain imaging to understand why deep brain stimulation helps or doesn’t help freezing of gait in people with Parkinson’s disease.
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Understanding movement transitions in Parkinson's disease and how cues help freezing of gait
A study with people who have Parkinson's disease will explore why freezing of gait happens during movement changes and how external cues might help keep steps going.
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Feasibility of an AI-Driven Gait Freeze Detector to Trigger Pauses and Cues in Parkinson’s
A small study tests an AI system that detects when a person with Parkinson’s is about to freeze and gives a cue only at that moment to help them keep walking.
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Wearable device to prevent freezing of gait in Parkinson's
This project builds a small wearable that detects freezing of gait in people with Parkinson's and provides personalized cues to help them start walking again.
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.