NCT06932185Enrolling by invitation
TUS to Disrupt Pathological Oscillations
Transcranial Ultrasound to Disrupt Pathological Oscillations in the Brain of People With Parkinson's Disease and Other Neurological Disorders
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 17 Apr 2025 · Not updated for over 12 months - ask the site whether it is still open
Brief summary (registry, in English)
Scientists and clinicians are interested in measuring and perturbing the signals in the brain - both to better understand normal operation and explore new therapy options for disease. One example of a signal is a "brainwave," also called a neural oscillation, which is a periodic oscillation of the electrical signals in the brain and which are linked to both normal and abnormal brain function. When circuits in the brain are not working properly, investigators can see changes in the characteristics of these oscillations. Many neurological conditions produce changes in brainwaves. For example, in patients with Parkinson's disease, oscillations in the "beta band" (approximately 15Hz) are observed to be more prominent. In another example, investigators see similar large oscillations in the presence of a seizure in people with epilepsy. Disrupting these abnormal oscillations can treat some of the symptoms of disease. One example of this is found in Parkinson's disease, where surgeons can implant electrodes deep in the brain and electrically stimulate cells by a process called deep brain stimulation (DBS). With DBS, it is possible to suppress these beta oscillations and improve symptoms. However, DBS is a highly invasive procedure that includes the need for a burr hole in the skull, placement of the electrode in the brain, and insertion of a "pacemaker" in the chest with wires tunnelled through the neck. The investigators propose to use ultrasound to modify pathological brainwaves non-invasively. While the proof-of-concept is in Parkinson's disease, the potential impact is much broader - if successful, the investigators will provide a non-invasive paradigm for probing the brain and exploring novel treatments for neurological conditions, such as pain and cognitive disorders.
- Status (registry)
- Enrolling by invitation
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 30 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 27 Mar 2025
- Start date
- 28 Feb 2024
- Primary completion date
- 9 Jun 2028
- Lead sponsor
- University of Oxford
- Diseases
- Parkinson disease
- NCT number
- NCT06932185
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 30
- From 28 Feb 2024 to the primary completion date, 9 Jun 2028
- 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.
Other illness
- Co-morbid neurological disorder that may confound results, e.g. second motor impairment.
Other
- Patients with extreme language barrier that cannot understand the purpose or instructions of the study despite the use of an interpreter.
- Patients with implanted electrodes without telemetric capacity.
- Fever at time of study visit (\>38 degrees Celsius)
Who the study is looking for
- Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study.
- Male or Female, aged 18 years or above.
- Implanted Medtronic Percept or equivalent DBS system (one that can measure LFPs) or externalised depth electrodes as part of routine care
- Participant willing and able to tolerate transcranial ultrasound stimulation.
- Stable therapy with no drug changes in past 6 weeks
- Measurable beta peak on screening
Age in the registry: 18 years to - · 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 Oxford Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Oxford | United Kingdom | Unknown status |
Related publications
- Suppression of pathological oscillations with transcranial focused ultrasound in Parkinson's disease.Nat Commun · 2026 · PMID 41876482
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.