Alternating DBS for Stepping Control in Parkinson's Disease

University of Oxford

Status

Unknown

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Treatments

Device: Alternating DBS

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT04047498

230144

Details and patient eligibility

About

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a disabling, progressive condition characterised by severe problems with movement for which medical treatment in the longer term can be unsatisfactory. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a treatment, which directly stimulates the nerve cells affected inside the brain to help overcome the difficulties with movement. Classically, DBS stimulates in a manner that is constant. Many patients develop severe problems with walking, so-called freezing of gait, which can be unresponsive to constant DBS. In this study the investigators will test if left-right alternating DBS helps to improve gait problems by potentially promoting left-right alternating up- and down-modulated brain activity, which was found during walking in a previous study. The investigators will test if alternating DBS improves the ability to adjust walking speed and to walk freely compared to constant DBS.

Enrollment

20 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 80 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

PD patients with bilateral subthalamic nucleus DBS electrodes and stimulators implanted for at least 6 months
Able to give consent.

Exclusion criteria

Lack of capacity to consent
Cognitive impairment/lack of capacity to perform experimental task. The investigators will additionally conduct a short (10 min) quantitative assessment of cognitive function using a validated test (MMSE). Patients with a score < 20 will be excluded from the study.