Sound waves aim to quiet shaky hands in new trial
NCT ID NCT07172295
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This early study tests whether gentle ultrasound waves aimed at a deep brain area can safely reduce hand tremors. It will include 12 people with Parkinson's, essential tremor, or dystonic tremor who haven't gotten enough relief from medication. The main goal is to check safety, but researchers will also measure any changes in tremor severity.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- low-intensity focused ultrasound stimulation
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-invasive, drug-free way to ease hand tremors for people who don't respond to medication.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small safety trial with only 12 people. It may not reduce tremors effectively, and the benefits might be short-lived or not apply to everyone.
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 12 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
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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18 to 80 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: * Age between 18 and 80 years. * Subjects must belong to one of the following three categories: 1. Patients with Parkinson's disease tremor who have an inadequate response to medication. 2. Patients with essential tremor who have an inadequate response to medication. 3. Patients with dystonic tremor who have an inadequate response to medication. * Subjects are willing to shave hair over the treatment area for focused ultrasound. * Stable medication regimen (types and dosages) for at least 4 weeks prior to study enrollment. * Normal liver and renal function (Creatinine \< 1.3 mg/dL, GPT \< 41 U/L). * Female participants of childbearing potential, or male participants with female partners of childbearing potential, must agree to use appropriate contraception from the first study treatment until at least 6 months after the last treatment to prevent pregnancy. Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of intracranial implants deemed unsuitable for MRI, such as metal clips, ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts, cochlear implants, deep brain stimulation (DBS) devices, pacemakers, or implantable cardioverter- defibrillators (ICDs). * Any abnormalities along the focused ultrasound beam path through the skull, including scars on the skull, scalp conditions (e.g., eczema), open wounds, calp atrophy, or significant calcification confirmed by imaging along the ultrasound transmission pathway. * Pregnant or breastfeeding women. * Use of investigational drugs from other clinical trials. * Patients with major depressive disorder (Beck Depression Inventory-II score \> 30 within the past year) or with suicidal ideation. * Any condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, may interfere with treatment efficacy or increase risk to the subject. * Presence of any brain tumors, vascular malformations, or significant traumatic brain injury. * Presence of significant psychiatric symptoms (Clinical Dementia Rating \[CDR\] * 2). * Use of anticoagulant medications. * Use of medications known to exacerbate tremor. * Tremor due to metabolic or psychogenic causes. * Coagulopathy or abnormal coagulation profiles, including any of the following: 1. Platelet count ≤ 100,000/µL 2. INR ≥ 1.5 3. PT ≥ 1.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN) 4. aPTT ≥ 1.5 × ULN 5. Fibrinogen ≤ 150 mg/dL * Inability to provide informed consent or comply with study procedures, posing potential safety concerns. * Insufficient skull density as determined by pre-treatment evaluation, resulting in ultrasound transmission efficiency less than 20%.
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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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National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch
RECRUITINGHsinchu, Hsinchu City, 300, Taiwan
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