Scientists probe brain during surgery to unlock Parkinson's hidden symptoms
NCT ID NCT04735458
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study records brain activity during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in 140 people with Parkinson's disease or essential tremor. Researchers aim to understand brain networks linked to non-motor symptoms like depression, attention problems, and slow thinking. Participants perform simple computer tasks during surgery while electrodes on the brain surface measure activity.
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 research could help doctors better understand and treat non-motor symptoms like depression and attention problems in Parkinson's disease.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not lead to direct benefits for participants, and 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 140 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2021
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2028
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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18 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.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * Eligible for surgery based on multi-disciplinary consensus review * Have a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease or Essential Tremor * Have a diagnosis of medically-refractory movement disorder (Parkinson's disease, Essential Tremor, or dystonia) * Willingness to participate in the paradigms described in the protocol Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to provide full and informed consent * Age younger than 18 * Are not able to participate in study-related activities * History of prior ischemic/hemorrhagic stroke, subdural hemorrhage, or seizure
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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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University of Alabama at Birmingham
RECRUITINGBirmingham, Alabama, 35233, United States
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