Brain pacemaker showdown: which spot stops Parkinson's tremors best?
NCT ID NCT05382858
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested two different brain areas for deep brain stimulation (like a pacemaker for the brain) in 27 people with tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease. The goal was to see which target—the posterior subthalamic area or the subthalamic nucleus—better reduces shaking. Each participant tried both targets in a random order, and doctors measured tremor improvement without Parkinson's medication.
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
-
27 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jun 2022
- Finished
-
Aug 2025
- 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 75 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: * diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease * tremor-dominant subtype in the on-medication condition * modified Hoehn-Yahr scale of 2 to 4 in the on-medication condition * receiving regular anti-parkinsonian drugs for more than 6 weeks * good compliance and written informed consent provided Exclusion Criteria: * Atypical parkinsonism * History of stroke, encephalitis, neuroleptic uses, MRI scan with evidence of significant brain atrophy, lacunar infracts, or other conditions that might interfere with the intracranial surgery * Presence of cognitive, or psychiatric or other co-morbidities (e.g., dementia, epilepsy, cranial traumatism, brain tumor, schizophrenia, severe depression or bipolar disorder, personality disorder, etc.) that might interfere with the patient's ability to complete the evaluations or to provide informed consent * Presence of anatomical abnormalities in the target region * Clinically significant medical history that would increase pre-/post-operative complications * Other conditions considered by the investigators that might interfere with the surgery procedure, the follow-ups, and the interpretation of the data
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
-
Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200025, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- 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
- Can tango rewire the brain? dance program tested for Parkinson's and dementia
- Can a workout after walking practice help Parkinson's patients learn better?