Parietal brain stimulation for memory in Parkinson’s with mild cognitive impairment

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This interventional study seeks to determine the safety, tolerability, and feasibility of accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) delivered to the right superior parietal lobule in adults with Parkinson’s disease and mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI). A three-day course totals 18,000 pulses, aiming to overcome past underdosing and target a brain region associated with attention and cholinergic loss in PD. Prior work suggests limited benefit from frontally focused stimulation; this protocol targets posterior parietal cortex with a dosing regimen aligned to FDA-approved protocols. Participants will be adults aged 50–85 who are on stable PD medications and have a caregiver to assist with daily functioning reporting. The study is sponsored by MUSC with NIH/NCATS collaboration and is conducted at MUSC in Charleston, SC.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* 50-85 years of age
* Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease based on UK Brain Bank diagnostic criteria
* Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) diagnosis per Movement Disorders Society Task Force Level II Diagnostic Criteria4 (i.e., scores ≥1.5 standard deviations below appropriate norms on 2 neuropsychological tests) as determined by a clinical neuropsychologist
* Stable on Parkinson's disease medications for 30 days (not expected to change through the course of the treatment)
* Has a caregiver willing and able to reliably complete a questionnaire focused on the participant's daily functioning

Exclusion Criteria:

* Claustrophobia or inability to lie supine in the scanner for an extended period of time
* Barriers to making contact between the TMS coil and the skin (e.g. braids that cannot be removed)
* Contraindications to MRI/TMS safety screening: This includes but is not limited to implanted medical devices (e.g., pacemakers), metallic objects or fragments, non-removable hair clips or piercings, and medications that reduce seizure threshold.
* Individuals with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and/or active substance abuse disorder.
* History of significant or unstable condition/s or treatments for these condition/s that may impact cognition (as determined by the study investigators) such as significant cardiac (e.g. heart failure), infectious (e.g. HIV, urinary tract infection), or metabolic disease (e.g. labile diabetes), cancer (e.g. brain cancer, chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment), developmental disorder (e.g. autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability), or other neurologic disease (e.g. multiple sclerosis, moderate to severe brain injury, seizures).
* History of a seizure disorder.

Where it's running

• Medical University of South Carolina
  Charleston, South Carolina, United States Recruiting

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.