Understanding motivation in Parkinson's patients using neurophysiology

Understanding Motivation in Parkinson's Patients Through Neurophysiology

Not applicable Interventional University of California, San Francisco · NCT05065151

This study is testing how a brain device affects motivation and decision-making in people with Parkinson's disease while they do tasks that involve rewards.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment70 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorUniversity of California, San Francisco Academic / other
Locations1 site (San Francisco, California)
Trial IDNCT05065151 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study investigates how motivation and decision-making are influenced in patients with Parkinson's disease through the use of Medtronic's Percept deep brain stimulation (DBS) device. Participants will engage in reward-based decision-making tasks while their neural activity is recorded, both in clinical and home settings. The study aims to assess the effects of DBS on motivation by comparing outcomes under different stimulation conditions, while participants continue their regular dopaminergic medications. The findings could provide insights into non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's and inform future adaptive DBS algorithms.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates include individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's disease or dystonia who have a Medtronic Percept or RC+S DBS device implanted.

Not a fit: Patients with severe cognitive impairments or those with a MOCA score below 20 may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could enhance our understanding of motivation in Parkinson's patients and lead to improved treatment strategies for managing non-motor symptoms.

How similar studies have performed: While there have been studies on DBS and motivation, this specific approach combining neurophysiology with behavioral tasks is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Has Parkinson's Disease or Dystonia
* Has Medtronic Percept or RC+S DBS device implanted in either GPI or STN
* Has DBS device implanted either bilaterally or unilaterally
* Male or female
* More than 1 month post-DBS surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

* Severe cognitive impairments
* Has MOCA score below 20
* Pregnancy
* Age less than 18 years old

Where this trial is running

San Francisco, California

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Parkinson DiseaseDeep Brain StimulationMotivationParkinson'sMedtronicPerceptDBSParkinson's Disease
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 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.