NCT05008289Completed
Effects of Magnetic Stimulation of the Dorsal Spinal Cord on Gait in Patients With Parkinson´s Disease and Deep Brain Stimulation
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 12 Feb 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
Gait disorders are symptoms that significantly compromise the quality of life and functionality of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). When they are not responsive to drug dopaminergic therapy and deep brain stimulation (DBS), the management of these symptoms is a challenge in clinical practice. Although deep brain stimulation is useful in the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, gait symptoms remains a challenge in patients undergoing this therapy. This is because, in addition to adjustments in the DBS programming not adding evident benefit in some patients with gait disorders, motor symptoms tend to progress over the years. In this context, spinal cord invasive electrical stimulation was proposed as a potential and effective therapy in a group of patients with PD who presented with gait impairment. More recently, the application of transcutaneous magnetic stimulation of the spinal cord has emerged as a possible therapeutic option, as it could stimulate neural elements in a non-invasive way. The general objective will be to study the effect of transcutaneous magnetic stimulation of the spinal cord on gait in PD patients with deep brain stimulation refractory to dopaminergic therapy. The method of the present study will be a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel, phase II clinical trial that will evaluate the efficacy of transcutaneous magnetic stimulation of the spinal cord in patients with PD and deep brain stimulation who present gait disorders refractory to dopaminergic therapy. The primary outcome will be the change in gait speed between pre-stimulation and post-stimulation conditions between the two groups (active and placebo) assessed using the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). Secondary outcomes will be the effects of stimulation on other gait measures (speed, step length, stride length, cadence, step width, sway time, support time and the presence of blocks), other motor symptoms (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale), cognitive alterations, quality of life and side effects. Statistical analysis will be performed using ANOVA for repeated measures and 38 patients will be included. The expected results are supported by transcutaneous magnetic stimulation of the spinal cord, which may improve gait disorders in participants with PD and DBS.
- Status (registry)
- Completed
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 42 (actual)
- First submitted
- 9 Aug 2021
- Start date
- 27 Nov 2020
- Primary completion date
- 1 May 2025
- Lead sponsor
- University of Sao Paulo General Hospital
- Diseases
- Parkinson disease
- NCT number
- NCT05008289
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Participants enrolled: 42
- From 27 Nov 2020 to the primary completion date, 1 May 2025
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Concurrent treatment with other experimental drugs;
Other illness
- Patients with unstabilized psychiatric comorbidities;
- Patients with uncontrolled infection or other uncontrolled pre-existing medical conditions (eg, decompensated diabetes, high blood pressure, symptomatic pneumo or heart disease);
- Patients who cannot walk, not even with unilateral aid of a walking aid device or another person, when they are without their medication for Parkinson's Disease (off-medication);
- Presence of cardiac pacemaker.
Other
- Impossibility to consent to their participation in the study;
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women;
Who the study is looking for
- Men and women (non-pregnant) aged between 21 and 80 years;
- Presence of deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus or globus pallidus
- Participants with idiopathic Parkinson's disease at Hoehn Yahr stages between 2 and 4 during off-medication, whose primary symptom includes altered gait and/or balance (score equal to or greater than 1 on sub-item 2.12 of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) \["gait and balance"\]). Patients should present the above symptoms even though they are optimized from a drug point of view and with optimized programming. The criteria to be optimized will be defined by a neurologist specialized in movement disorders who will evaluate the case.
- Able to give informed consent in accordance with institutional policies;
- Able to meet all testing and follow-up requirements as defined by the study protocol
Age in the registry: 21 years to 80 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Sao Paulo Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | São Paulo | Brazil | Unknown status |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.