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Can a tuned brain implant sharpen thinking in Parkinson's?

NCT ID NCT06518824

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of British Columbia Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Many people with Parkinson's disease develop problems with thinking and memory, and few treatments help. This trial tests whether deep brain stimulation delivered at a specific rhythm, called theta frequency, can improve working memory. Participants already have a stimulator implanted in the subthalamic nucleus, a brain region involved in movement and thinking. Researchers turn the device on and off while participants complete a memory task, then compare how well they do.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
theta-frequency deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus
What this could lead to
If it works, theta stimulation could offer a way to ease the thinking and memory problems that often come with Parkinson's disease, using a device many patients already have.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early study of 27 people who already have brain stimulators. The approach may not improve thinking, and adjusting stimulation could affect movement control or cause other side effects.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 27 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jan 2025

Expected to finish

Oct 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 80 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Those with STN DBS devices * Those with pre- and post-operative imaging * Those that are at least 3 months post-operative Exclusion Criteria: * Those unable to complete the cognitive task (due to language barriers or dementia) * Those with significant DBS complications

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Cognitive Dysfunction Parkinson disease

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Cognitive impairment Parkinson disease

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Leslie and Gordan Diamond Health Care Centre

    RECRUITING

    Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 1M9, Canada

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