Can focused electrical fields deep in the brain ease Parkinson's tremors?
NCT ID NCT07827456
First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026
Summary
Researchers at Tongji Hospital are testing a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) in 26 people with Parkinson's disease. The study uses MRI scans to customize electrode placement so the stimulation reaches deep brain regions involved in movement. Participants receive stimulation targeting either the globus pallidus alone or combined with the subthalamic nucleus, and researchers measure motor symptom changes using a standard Parkinson's rating scale.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- MRI-guided transcranial temporal interference electrical stimulation targeting the subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-invasive way to ease Parkinson's motor symptoms without surgery or implanted electrodes.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, exploratory study of 26 people, so any benefit may not hold up in larger trials or apply to all Parkinson's patients. The stimulation may cause discomfort or fail to reach deep brain targets effectively.
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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 26 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
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 to 75 years
- 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: * Age 18-75 years (inclusive), any gender. * Diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease according to the Chinese diagnostic criteria for Parkinson's disease (2016 edition). * Hoehn and Yahr stage 2-4 (inclusive) during the "off" state. * Documented response to levodopa (\>33% improvement), with a stable anti-parkinsonian medication regimen for at least 4 weeks prior to screening, and no dose adjustments during the study. * Voluntary signed informed consent, and ability to understand and comply with the study protocol to complete the study. * No significant cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment \[MoCA\] score ≥21). Exclusion Criteria: Inability or unwillingness to comply with the study protocol and/or inability to provide written informed consent; Presence of a significant medical condition that may interfere with study procedures or confound the assessment of study endpoints; Presence of a severe psychiatric disorder that may affect the participant's ability to comply with the study protocol; A history of psychiatric disorders or current severe depression or anxiety; Presence of metallic implants in the brain; Known pregnancy or current breastfeeding; Severe neurological disorders, such as a brain tumor; Severe cardiac disease, including the presence of an implanted cardiac pacemaker; Scalp lesions, inflammation, infection, active bleeding, or an increased bleeding tendency; Any other current medical condition for which the use of transcranial electrical stimulation may pose an unacceptable risk; A history of epilepsy or structural brain lesions, including severe cerebral atrophy or cerebrovascular disease; Inability to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), such as because of claustrophobia or implanted metallic devices; Inability to cooperate with or complete the required assessments; or any other condition that, in the investigator's judgment, makes the individual unsuitable for participation in the study.
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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 official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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.
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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