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Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Interventional Ages 18 to 75

Stimulating the motor thalamus and surface cortex to improve movement and speech

Official title: VOP/VIM Direct Electrical Stimulation Increases Motor Cortex Excitability and Motor Output

Run by University of Pittsburgh · NCT07056361 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This test tries brief electrical stimulation of the motor thalamus (VOP/VIM) and nearby cortex during DBS surgery to see if it improves movement, grip strength, and speech in people having DBS for Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, stroke, or brain injury.

Quick facts

Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years to 75 Years
SexAll
Enrollment60 (estimated)
SponsorUniversity of Pittsburgh
Academic / other
Locations1 site (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
StatusRecruiting
StartedDecember 16, 2022
Main results expectedDecember 31, 2026
Study endsDecember 31, 2030
Registry record updatedSeptember 18, 2026
Trial IDNCT07056361 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Ideal candidates are adult patients without a seizure history who are scheduled for DBS implantation at UPMC Presbyterian for essential tremor or Parkinson's disease and who can undergo intra-operative cortical recording and stimulation.

Probably not a fit

Patients with any history of seizures, those not having DBS surgery at the study center, or those unable to tolerate intra-operative testing are unlikely to receive benefit from this protocol.

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

What this trial studies

Participants already scheduled for deep brain stimulation implantation will have a temporary 1x6 subdural strip placed over primary motor (M1) and somatosensory (S1) cortex for intra-operative recording and direct cortical stimulation. Cortical local field potentials (LFPs) and electromyography (EMG) will be recorded while investigators deliver DBS to the VOP/VIM motor thalamus and perform direct cortical motor-evoked potentials (DCMEPs), comparing thresholds and motor output with and without thalamic stimulation. Patients will perform contralateral hand movement tasks (velocity, grip strength, strength modulation) and speech/articulation exercises during recordings to capture functional changes. The protocol aims to link electrophysiologic changes to measurable motor and speech outcomes to inform how DBS modulates motor circuits.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could identify stimulation patterns that improve motor control and speech and help tailor DBS programming to reduce tremor and enhance function.

How similar studies have gone: Related work combining DBS with cortical recordings has yielded mechanistic insights and influenced programming, but using intra-operative cortical stimulation to directly measure VOP/VIM effects is a relatively novel and exploratory approach.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria 
Inclusion Criteria:

* Essential tremor patients who are scheduled to undergo deep brain stimulation surgery at UPMC Presbyterian with asymmetric essential tremor symptoms will be included, with the tested limb corresponding to the least affected arm to better approximate normal function. These patients are implanted bilaterally regardless of symptom laterality, as the natural history of essential tremor indicates eventual bilateral symptoms.
* Parkinson's Disease patients who are scheduled to undergo deep brain stimulation surgery at UPMC Presbyterian with a history of Parkinson's Disease will also be recruited for intra-operative stimulation of their STN-targeted implants, to assess if VIM/VOP has high specificity for improving motor output.

Confirmation that subjects' terms of insurance coverage for their standard of care procedure will not be altered by study enrollment.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients will be excluded from the study if there is any seizure history, to avoid the increased epileptogenic risk of intraoperative stimulation.
* Patients with significant bilateral tremor that precludes completion of motor tasks.

Where it's running

  • University of Pittsburgh
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States     Recruiting

Study contacts

  • Principal investigator: Jorge Gonzalez-Martinez, MD, PhD — University of Pittsburgh
  • Study coordinator: Cierra Clark, MS
  • Email: cic27@pitt.edu
  • Phone: 240-441-4216

Similar studies

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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.
View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ Find more trials like this →
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Movement Disorders (Incl Parkinsonism) 2Stroke 1573Traumatic Brain Injury 413Brain Diseases 36Parkinson Disease 395Essential Tremor, Movement Disorders 5University of Pittsburgh 271
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.