Brain study sheds light on Parkinson's and tics
NCT ID NCT01019343
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 5 times
Summary
This completed study from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke aimed to better understand how the brain controls movement and what goes wrong in movement disorders like Parkinson's disease, Tourette's syndrome, and dystonia. Over 1,200 adults—both patients and healthy volunteers—took part in various non-treatment procedures such as MRI scans, EEG, and eye-tracking tests. The study did not offer any treatment, but its findings may help future research into causes and potential therapies.
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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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1,273 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2009
- Finished
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Oct 2020
- Lead sponsor
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A government research agency
The lead sponsor is the US National Institutes of Health.
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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
* INCLUSION CRITERIA: INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR MOVEMENT DISORDER PATIENTS: * Patients will either have a well-defined diagnosis or be a diagnostic dilemma, depending upon the sub-study * Age 18 or older * Able to give informed consent * Agree to not drink caffeine or alcohol for 48 hours before certain study sessions because both agents can modify brain activity and may confound outcome measures. INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS: * Age 18 or older. * Able to give informed consent. * Agree to not drink caffeine or alcohol for 48 hours before certain study sessions because both agents may modify the activity of the brain during the study. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR MOVEMENT DISORDER PATIENTS: * Have used illegal drugs within the past 6 months * Have more than 7 alcoholic drinks a week in the case of a woman or 14 alcoholic drinks a week in the case of a man. * Have had a brain tumor, a stroke, head trauma, epilepsy or a history of seizures. * Have a psychotic disorder, Bipolar Disorder or a current depressive episode. * Have another neurologic disorder than a movement disorder * Have had a head injury where there was a loss of consciousness for more than a few seconds. EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS: * Have abnormal findings on a neurological examination that we will perform * Have used illegal drugs within the past 6 months * Have more than 7 alcoholic drinks a week in the case of a woman or 14 alcoholic drinks a week in the case of a man * Have had a brain tumor, a stroke, head trauma, epilepsy or a history of seizures. * Have major depression or any major mental disorders (axis I disorders) * Have had a head injury where there was a loss of consciousness for more than a few seconds. ADDITIONAL EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR MOVEMENT DISORDER PATIENTS AND HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS SPECIFICALLY FOR fMRI: We will follow the NMR Center guidelines for MR safety. Some of the exclusions are: * Have non-MRI compatible metal in the body, such as a cardiac pacemaker, brain stimulator, shrapnel, surgical metal, clips in the brain or on blood vessels, cochlear implants, artificial heart valves or metal fragments in the eye as these make having an MRI unsafe. * Unable to lie flat on the back for the expected length of the experiment up to 3 hours * Have uncontrolled movements of the head * Have an abnormality on the brain imaging or neurologic examination not related to the diagnosis * Uncomfortable being in a small space for the expected length of the experiment up to 3 hours * Pregnancy ADDITIONAL EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR MOVEMENT DISORDER PATIENTS AND HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS SPECIFICALLY FOR TMS: * Have metal in the eye or skull area, brain stimulator, shrapnel, surgical metal, clips in the brain, cochlear implants, metal fragments in the eye, as these make TMS unsafe. Having a cardiac pacemaker, intracardiac lines, implanted pumps or stimulators are also exclusion criteria. * Have hearing loss.
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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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National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Walking memory tests may reveal early Parkinson's clues
- Colon tissue may hold clues to telling Parkinson's apart from Look-Alike diseases
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- Can gentle touch therapy calm Parkinson's tremors?
- Can new brain stimulation patterns quiet stubborn tremors?