Zapping the brain to steady Parkinson's steps?
NCT ID NCT07767006
First seen Aug 17, 2026 · Last updated Aug 18, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether combining two non-invasive brain stimulation techniques—transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS)—can improve balance and posture in people with Parkinson's disease. Participants are randomly assigned to one of four treatment schedules, ranging from daily sessions over two weeks to a shorter one-week course, or a sham (placebo) version. The goal is to see which schedule, if any, reduces motor symptoms like tremor, stiffness, and postural instability.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Combined transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS)
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this could point toward a non-invasive way to improve balance and reduce falls in people with Parkinson's disease.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage trial, and the optimal schedule is unknown. Results may vary, and the effects might not last or translate to real-world improvements.
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 116 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2032
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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40 to 85 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: 1. Diagnosis of idiopathic PD with self-reported balance impairment or postural instability. 2. Age 40 to 85 years. 3. Have at least moderate motor impairment (defined by minimum UPDRS Part III (motor) score of 20 while ON medication state). 4. On stable Parkinson's disease medications for at least 30 days prior to enrollment, based on self-report. Dose changes of up to 20% in dopaminergic medications during this period are considered stable. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Early or advanced stages of disease progression as defined by the modified Hoehn and Yahr stages scores of 2 or less and greater than 4. 2. Active epilepsy or conditions with significantly increased seizure risk including severe traumatic brain injury, congenital birth defects leading to seizures, brain tumors, metabolic disorders associated with seizures, intracranial or subarachnoid hemorrhage, and nonlacunar strokes. 3. Cognitive or communication impairment preventing comprehension of instructions or valid consent (e.g., dementia, severe cognitive impairment, aphasia, intellectual disability, or language barrier). 4. Severe musculoskeletal conditions (e.g., advanced arthritis, joint deformities) that substantially interfere with independent movement or balance. 5. Clinically unstable medical conditions (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, decompensated cardiac disease, heart failure, decompensated pulmonary disease, COPD). 6. Recent (≤2 months) initiation or planned participation in a physician-prescribed physical therapy program targeting balance or postural instability during the study period. Participation is allowed if the program ended more than 2 months before enrollment, or if the participant has been in a stable program for at least 2 months and plans to continue without major changes during the study. 7. Contraindications to noninvasive brain stimulation or transcranial ultrasound according to the latest published safety tDCS and TUS guidelines. 8. Active, uncontrolled psychiatric illness that may interfere with safe participation or study compliance, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, uncontrolled psychosis, or suicidality. 9. Current or recent alcohol or substance use disorder within the past 6 months associated with functional, social, occupational, or legal consequences, or requiring acute treatment. 10. History of neurosurgical interventions including deep brain stimulation, brain ablation, or documented malignant intracranial mass lesions. 11. Current use of medications that may increase seizure risk, as follows: trihexyphenidyl, benztropine, or methylphenidate. Participants taking amantadine at a stable therapeutic dose with normal renal function or bupropion at a stable therapeutic dose of ≤300 mg/day will be eligible following review by the study principal investigator prior to enrollment.
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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 places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital for Continuing Care
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States