New brain stimulation pattern may help Parkinson's patients who 'Freeze' when walking
NCT ID NCT05415774
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tested a new way of using deep brain stimulation (DBS) to help Parkinson's disease patients who experience freezing of gait—a sudden inability to move their feet—even with standard DBS. Ten participants received stimulation at different frequencies in two brain areas (the subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra pars reticulata) to see if it could reduce freezing episodes. The study measured changes using a questionnaire about freezing severity over one-month periods.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- deep brain stimulation device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new stimulation pattern to reduce freezing of gait episodes in Parkinson's patients who don't respond to standard deep brain stimulation.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 10 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The approach is experimental and may not provide meaningful improvement.
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
-
10 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Sep 2022
- Finished
-
May 2023
- 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 100 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 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: 1. Idiopathic PD defined as by the MDS Criteria ; 2. Patients submitted to STN-DBS, for at least 6 months; 3. Patients with STN-DBS at 130Hz; 4. Patients with a troublesome FoG according to the "NFOG-Q", Part II Item II ≥ 2 or Part III Item 7 ≥ 2; 5. Mini Mental State (MMS) ≥ 25 ; 6. Ventral contact of electrodes implanted in the SNr (according to analysis of activated tissue volume models (VTA)); 7. Patients with stable parkinsonian stimulation parameters and anti-parkinsonian treatments for one month before the inclusion visit; 8. Patients with H/Y stage ≤ 3 in the Med ON/Stim On condition (at 130Hz, S-stimulation); Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patient with atypical Parkinsonian syndrome; 2. Patient with severe FoG before DBS, i.e. MDS-UPDRS item 2.13 in Med ON ≥2 or MDS-UPDRS item 3.11 ≥2 in Med On; 3. Patient whose antiparkinsonian treatments were modified during the last month before inclusion; 4. Patient with H\&Y stage ≥4 in Med On/Stim On (at 130Hz, S-stimulation) ;
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Parkinson disease are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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
-
Uh Toulouse
Toulouse, 31000, France
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Gut bacteria may hold clues to dozens of diseases
- Spinal cord stimulation put to the test for Parkinson's freezing of gait
- Can a massive data registry crack the code of Parkinson's and related brain diseases?
- Reading the Brain's signals to predict who benefits from deep brain stimulation
- Giving Parkinson's patients a say may boost their Brain's ability to learn movement
- Brain scans probe why some Parkinson's patients freeze Mid-Step