---
title: Improve cognitive function in Parkinsons
nct_id: NCT03836950
phase: PHASE1, PHASE2
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT03836950"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03836950"
last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:04:50.116Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Improve cognitive function in Parkinsons

**Goal (in five words):** Improve cognitive function in Parkinsons

**Official Title:** rTMS as a Cognitive Rehabilitation Approach in Veterans With Parkinson's Disease

**Trial ID:** [NCT03836950](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03836950)

## Key Facts

- **Phase:** PHASE1, PHASE2
- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Sponsor:** VA Office of Research and Development
- **Target Enrollment:** 56 participants
- **Start Date:** 2020-04-01
- **Completion Date:** 2027-03-31
- **Conditions:** Parkinson's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment
- **Interventions:** MagVenture MagProX100 stimulator (MagVenture, Falun, Denmark), MagVenture MagProX100 stimulator (MagVenture, Falun, Denmark)
- **Intervention Types:** DEVICE

## Summary For Families

The goal is to help veterans with Parkinson's who have mild cognitive impairment improve thinking and memory, especially attention and executive skills that affect daily life. The approach uses a MagVenture rTMS machine to deliver repeated magnetic pulses to targeted brain regions, boosting neuronal activity and strengthening networks involved in memory and attention; it is a non-drug, external therapy that does not directly change levodopa but requires participants to stay on stable Parkinson's medications. Eligible participants are veterans 50 or older seen at Hines or Jesse Brown VA with neurologist-confirmed Parkinson's or atypical parkinsonism and mild cognitive impairment, while people with dementia, prior deep brain stimulation, implanted pacemakers or metal in the head, a seizure history, severe tremor, or other conditions that raise seizure risk are excluded.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 50 Years
- **Sex:** ALL

### Full Criteria

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* Veterans who seek services at Hines VA Hospital or Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
* Diagnosis of PD or atypical parkinsonism as determined by a neurologist
* Meet criteria for having mild cognitive impairment
* Receiving stable (i.e., no changes in medication and medication dose) medication and who are expected to remain on stable medication for the duration of the RCT
* Speak and read English
* 50 years or older

Exclusion Criteria:

* Dementia
* Failure to demonstrate decision making capacity
* History of deep brain stimulation surgery
* Severe depression
* Resting head tremor
* Dyskinesia that will interfere with collecting imaging data
* Has congestive heart failure
* Implanted cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator
* Cochlear implant, nerve stimulator, or intracranial metal clips
* Implanted medical pump
* Increased intracranial pressure
* History of claustrophobia
* Metal in eyes/face, shrapnel/bullet remnants in brain
* Participants at potential increased risk of seizure including those who have the following:

  * history (or family history) of seizure or epilepsy
  * history of stroke, head injury, or unexplained seizures
  * presence of other neurological disease that may be associated with an altered seizure threshold

    * such as CVA, cerebral aneurysm, dementia, increased intracranial pressure
* Concurrent medication use such as tricyclic antidepressants, neuroleptic medications, any other drug known to lower seizure threshold
* Secondary conditions that may significantly alter electrolyte balance or lower seizure threshold
* No quantifiable motor threshold such that rTMS dosage cannot be accurately deter-mined
```

## Locations (2)

- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, Chicago, Illinois, United States _(41.8500, -87.6500)_
  - Sandra L Kletzel, PhD — (CONTACT) — 708-202-5735 — sandra.kletzel@va.gov
  - Elyse Walsh, MS — (CONTACT) — 7089680427 — elyse.walsh@va.gov
- Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL, Hines, Illinois, United States _(41.8536, -87.8395)_
  - Sadie Walker, OTR — (CONTACT) — ((70) 964-3805 — sadie.walker@va.gov
  - Alexandria N Umbarger, BS — (CONTACT) — (708) 998-8213 — alexandria.umbarger@va.gov
  - Sandra L. Kletzel, PhD BA — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

## Central Contacts

- Sandra L Kletzel, PhD BA — (CONTACT) — (708) 202-5735 — Sandra.Kletzel@va.gov
- Alexandria N Umbarger, BS — (CONTACT) — (708) 998-8213 — alexandria.umbarger@va.gov

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT03836950*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT03836950*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03836950*