Scientists probe brain activity during surgery to unlock Parkinson's cognitive mysteries
NCT ID NCT04715984
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study aims to learn more about the brain activity behind cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease. Researchers will record brain signals from 75 people during deep brain stimulation surgery while they perform a gambling task. The goal is to understand how certain brain areas work together and how stimulation affects decision-making.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help researchers understand why some people with Parkinson's develop thinking and memory problems, potentially pointing toward future treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early observational study, not a treatment trial. It only involves 75 people and measures brain signals during surgery, so results may not apply to all patients.
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
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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
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About 75 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2021
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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40 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion criteria: * Scheduled to undergo deep brain stimulation surgery under local anesthesia at Vanderbilt University Medical Center * Planned clinical electrode trajectory that contacts caudate * Age greater than or equal to 40 * Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease * Able to participate in intraoperative testing * English speaking Exclusion criteria: * Age less than 40 * Not able to participate in intraoperative testing (for example unable to comprehend instructions or follow directions) * Movement disorder other than Parkinson's disease
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Vanderbilt University Medical Center
RECRUITINGNashville, Tennessee, 37212, United States
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