NCT05509842

Function-based Accelerated Stimulation Therapy (FAST-therapy) for Freezing of Gait (FOG) After Parkinson's Disease (PD)

High-dose Accelerated Theta Burst Stimulation to Restore PD-induced Motor Network Dysconnectivity

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Michigan · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 45 Years – 90 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Parkinson disease (PD) is a common disorder in which reduced speed of movement results from inadequate brain production of the chemical dopamine. The most effective treatment for Parkinson disease is the use of drugs that provide dopamine replacement therapy (DRT). However, as the disease progresses there are prominent DRT-resistant features of Parkinson disease that are a major source of disability. These include cognitive (attention, memory) impairments and gait disorders such as freezing and falls. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a form of non-invasive brain stimulation, holds promise for the study and treatment of motor and cognitive deficits in persons with Parkinson's. To date, there are no conclusive results regarding an optimal rTMS protocol for recovery of motor and cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease. This study is designed to promote clinical rehabilitation neuroscience research, and aims to improve rehabilitation in persons with Parkinson's with freezing of gait. This work will evaluate the use of a new accelerated, high dose, non-invasive brain stimulation method for treatment of freezing of gait in PD and will test how applying targeted accelerated stimulation to the brain improves gait disturbance due to PD.

Detailed description

* The proposed research will characterize how inter-individual brain and behavior differences (i.e., gait function behavior and fMRI functional connectivity) at baseline relate to the treatment response. * This knowledge will provide important information about how interventions can be personalized and optimized. * The work may increase understanding of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of neuromodulation for rehabilitation in patients with gait disturbances due to PD. * Impact: Results will provide insights into the effects of the neuromodulatory treatment on gait and motor dysfunction and could dramatically improve quality of life for patients with PD. The results also will (1) provide a mechanistic foundation for studies of therapeutic iTBS for PD patients, (2) evaluate novel stimulation targets, and (3) markedly condense the duration of treatment into a more manageable timeframe for patients. Our overall objectives in the current study are to: 1. To establish safety, feasibility, and tolerability of a high-dose, resting-state functional connectivity-guided iTBS 2. To elucidate the neural mechanism by which such a highly efficient and personalized stimulation approach leads to improvements in freezing of gait in PD. 3. To promote rehabilitation neuroscience research that expands current neuromodulatory methods 4. To increase understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying such neuromodulatory treatment The specific aims / hypotheses in the current study are: \- Aim 1: Demonstrate the safety, feasibility and tolerability of high-dose, accelerated, network targeted rTMS in the basal ganglia-cerebellar-motor network. Working hypothesis: The approach will be safe, feasible and well tolerated by the patients. \- Aim 2: Demonstrate preliminary efficacy of high-dose, accelerated, network-targeted rTMS on freezing of gait. Working hypothesis: The approach facilitates recovery in motor network dysconnectivity, and thereby will improve FOG after treatment compared to pre-treatment. \- Aim 3: Demonstrate modulation of functional connectivity aftereffects of high-dose, accelerated, network-targeted rTMS. Working hypothesis: Functional connectivity as assessed with fMRI will change after the high-dose, accelerated, functionally-guided stimulation treatment compared to pre-treatment.

Conditions

• Parkinson Disease

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	rTMS	A MagPro X100 magnetic stimulator with a 90mm figure-8 coil (MC-B70, MagVenture Inc.) will be used to apply rTMS to targeted locations marked on the structural MRI using a frameless infrared stereotactic neuronavigation system (Brainsight, Rogue Research).

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-09-01
• Primary completion: 2027-04-01
• Completion: 2028-01-01
• First posted: 2022-08-22
• Last updated: 2025-10-07

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study