New wristband could shake up essential tremor treatment
NCT ID NCT03778060
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests a wristband called Cala TWO that uses mild electrical pulses to calm hand tremors in people with essential tremor. Twenty adults scheduled for deep brain stimulation surgery will use the device twice daily for three months. Researchers will measure tremor severity and daily activity improvements, and a subset will have brain scans to see how the device affects brain activity.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Cala TWO stimulator (transcutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation wristband)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-invasive, drug-free option to ease hand tremors for people with essential tremor, potentially reducing the need for risky surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 20 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The device is meant to ease symptoms temporarily, not cure the condition.
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 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2019
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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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21 to 70 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.
Subject population (children, adults, groups): Adults approved for DBS surgery at Mayo Clinic for treatment of essential tremor Inclusion Criteria: * Prospective subjects must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for study participation: * Must be greater than or equal to 21 years of age. Must be approved for DBS surgery at Mayo Clinic for treatment of essential tremor. * Competent and willing to provide signed, informed consent to participate in the study. * Stable dose of tremor medications, if applicable, for 30 days prior to study entry. * Stable dose of antidepressant medications, if applicable, for 90 days prior to study entry. * Willing to comply with study protocol requirements including: remaining on a stable dosage of tremor and antidepressant medications, if applicable, during the duration of the study; no significant alcohol or caffeine consumption within 8 hours of study visits; no usage of the Cala TWO device within 8 hours of study visits. Exclusion Criteria: * Prospective subjects that meet any of the following criteria are not eligible for enrollment in this study: * Moderate to severe ethanol dependence as defined by the criteria outlined in the DSM-5 (score of 4 or higher). * Implanted electrical medical device, such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, or deep brain stimulator. * Previous thalamotomy procedure, including stereotactic thalamotomy, gamma knife radiosurgical thalamotomy, and focused ultrasound for the treatment of tremor. * Suspected or diagnosed epilepsy or other seizure disorder. Swollen, infected, inflamed areas, or skin eruptions, open wounds, or cancerous lesions of skin at stimulation site (wrist). * Peripheral neuropathy affecting the tested upper extremity. Presence of any other neurodegenerative disease like Parkinson plus syndromes suspected on neurological examination. These include: multisystem atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, dementia with Lewy bodies, and Alzheimer's disease. * Anyone suspected to have the diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). This includes excluding anyone with the presence of parkinsonian features including bradykinesia rigidity, or postural instability. Subjects that exhibit only mild resting tremor but no other symptoms or signs of PD may be included. * Botulinum toxin injection for hand tremor within 6 months prior to study enrollment. * Are participating or have participated in another interventional clinical trial in the last 30 days which may confound the results of this study, unless approved by the Principal Investigator. * Significant alcohol or caffeine consumption within 8 hours of study enrollment, which may confound the results of the study, where significant caffeine is considered more than 95 mg (equivalent to a cup of coffee), and significant alcohol is considered more than 14 g (equivalent to 5 oz of wine, 12 oz of beer, or 1.5 oz of distilled spirits). * Subjects unable to communicate with the investigator and staff. Any health condition that in the investigator's opinion should preclude participation in this study. * Pregnancy or anticipated pregnancy during the course of 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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Reading the Brain's signals to predict who benefits from deep brain stimulation
- Hair-Thin electrodes tested to Fine-Tune brain stimulation
- Brain training through implanted electrodes aims to quiet Parkinson's tremors
- Can new brain stimulation patterns quiet stubborn tremors?
- AI hunts for early clues to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's progression
- Mapping the Brain's electrical signals to improve surgical precision