Percept recordings of brain activity during freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease

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 protocol uses the Medtronic Percept™ deep brain stimulation system to record local field potentials (LFPs) in people with Parkinson's disease with and without freezing of gait. Three experiments compare LFPs during gait initiation with and without external cues, during a FOG provocation course comparing successful transitions versus freezing episodes, and during rapid alternating wrist/foot movements. Participants are tested off Parkinson's medications and with DBS turned off, and may volunteer for one or more experiments performed at the University of Minnesota Movement Disorders Lab. The aim is to identify oscillatory biomarkers tied to freezing and cueing that could inform future targeted therapies or device programming.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of idiopathic PD.
* Age 21-75 (see Inclusion of Individuals across the Lifespan for justification of age range).
* Able to ambulate independently without the use of an assistive device (e.g. cane) for 50 meters.
* Implanted Medtronic Percept TM Device.
* At least 3 months since the initial activation of the neurostimulator.
* Undervalued, under-represented, or disenfranchised social group may be included.
* Active members of the military (service members), DoD personnel (including civilian employees) may be included.
* Individual or group that is disadvantaged in the distribution of social goods and services such as income, housing, or healthcare may be included.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Meet criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies, Multiple Systems Atrophy, Alzheimer's disease, or other neurodegenerative disorder.
* History of seizures or other significant neurological disorders that may affect participation or performance in the study.
* History of musculoskeletal disorders that significantly affect walking or movement of limb(s) that would affect the participation in the experimental task (Participants will be excluded from that task, but may participate in other tasks, for example, may be excluded from Experiment 1 if the disorder affects walking, but may still participate in Experiment 3).
* History of muscular conditions of the neck and back, including whiplash that would affect walking experiments.
* History of visual and/or vestibular conditions that may affect participation or performance in the study.
* Reduced capacity to consent. This will be assessed using a 2-stage process. Initially, participants will be tested using the University of California, San Diego, Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent (UBACC). If concerns are raised from the UBACC test, the individual will be further tested using the MacArthur Competency Assessment Tool.
* Pregnant people.
* Post-operative complications or adverse effects (e.g. ON stimulation dystonia) that affect patient safety or confound the experiment.

Where it's running

• University of Minnesota, Movement Disorders Lab
  Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Madison Aasen, MS
• Email: aasen056@umn.edu
• Phone: 612-505-8325

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• Decoding brain signals and DBS settings for freezing of gait in Parkinson’s

  This study tests how brain activity and different DBS settings affect freezing of gait and balance in people with Parkinson’s who already have a Medtronic Percept DBS device.

  Recruiting The Cleveland Clinic · Cleveland, Ohio · NCT07748962

• Remote mental practice to help with freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease

  This study is testing if a combination of mental exercises and physical practice can help people with Parkinson's disease who struggle with freezing while walking.

  Recruiting University of Sao Paulo General Hospital · São Paulo, São Paulo · NCT06957405

• Thoracic epidural spinal cord stimulation to reduce freezing of gait in advanced Parkinson's disease

  This study will try temporary thoracic spinal cord stimulation to see if it helps people with advanced Parkinson's disease whose freezing of gait does not respond to medications.

  Recruiting National Taiwan University Hospital · Hsinchu, Hsinchu City · NCT06630702

• Using deep brain stimulation and levodopa to improve walking in Parkinson's patients

  This study is testing whether increasing deep brain stimulation or giving a higher dose of levodopa helps people with Parkinson's disease walk better and reduces freezing episodes.

  Recruiting Phase 4 IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna · Bologna · NCT06316232

• CereGate Therapy for Freezing of Gait in Parkinson's Disease

  This study is testing if CereGate therapy can help people with Parkinson's Disease who have freezing of gait feel more mobile and improve their movement after having deep brain stimulation.

  Recruiting at 7 sites CereGate Inc. · Redwood City, California and 6 other locations · NCT05292794

• One-day exercise test to see how brain and body react in epilepsy, cognitive disorders, Parkinson's, dementia, and related conditions

  A one-day study tests how an acute bout of exercise changes brain function and bodily signals in people with certain neurological conditions compared with healthy individuals.

  Recruiting Brigham and Women's Hospital · Boston, Massachusetts · NCT07883720

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.