Recruiting

STN-DBS

Sponsor:

Medical University of South Carolina

Code:

NCT06994728

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Gait Disorders, Neurologic

Visuospatial/Perceptual Abilities

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Left STN-DBS on, right STN-DBS off first

Right STN-DBS on, left STN-DBS off first

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this research is to determine how deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease affects attention and visuospatial function. Additionally, this study will evaluate how deficits in visual attention are associated with freezing of gait (FOG) in Parkinson's disease. There is currently no reliable treatment for FOG and little is understood about the underlying reason this occurs. Some recent research has found that stimulating the right side of the brain seems to improve FOG. The right side of the brain is also paramount for visual attention, which is why investigators are conducting this study.

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Gait Disorders, Neurologic

Visuospatial/Perceptual Abilities

Study ID

NCT06994728

Start date

Apr 1, 2025

Status verified date

Aug, 2026

Completion date

Jun, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jun, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects above 18 years of age
  • Subjects with freezing of gait
  • Subjects with bilateral STN-DBS surgery as part of their clinical care for Parkinson's disease

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Uncorrected visual or hearing impairments, as indicated by self-report
  • Individuals who are pregnant or expect to become pregnant during the course of the study
  • Individuals with dementia or relevant brain lesions impacting cognition or gait

Study Design

Enrollment

12 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

active comparator: Left STN-DBS on, right STN-DBS off first

STN-DBS will be turned off sequentially for each side, in this group beginning with left STN-DBS on and right STN-DBS off. This will then be followed by the corollary.

active comparator: Right STN-DBS on, left STN-DBS off first

STN-DBS will be turned off sequentially for each side, in this group beginning with right STN-DBS on and left STN-DBS off. This will then be followed by the corollary.

Interventions

Left STN-DBS on, right STN-DBS off first

There will not be any change to baseline DBS stimulation settings, only each side will be sequentially turned off during cognitive and freezing of gait assessments.

Right STN-DBS on, left STN-DBS off first

There will not be any change to baseline DBS stimulation settings, only each side will be sequentially turned off during cognitive and freezing of gait assessments.

Primary outcome measure

  • Characterize the individual impact of lateralized STN DBS stimulation on freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease [ Time Frame: 1 hour ]
  • Determine if there is a correlation between the change in visuospatial function due to lateralized STN DBS stimulation and change in freezing of gait (FOG) in Parkinson's disease [ Time Frame: 1 hour ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Nathan DeTurk, MD

843-792-3221deturk@musc.edu

Locations

Medical University of South Carolina

Recruiting

Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29403

Contacts

Nathan DeTurk, MD, MBA

843-792-3221deturk@musc.edu

Principal Investigator:

Nathan DeTurk, MD, MBA

More Information

Sponsor

Medical University of South Carolina

Last update posted

Aug 24, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2026

Keywords

  • Freezing of gait
  • Subthalamic nucleus
  • Visuospatial attention
  • Deep brain stimulation

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Medical University of South Carolina on 2026-08-24.