---
title: Brain stimulation improves motor control
nct_id: NCT04799470
phase: NA
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: University of Nebraska
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT04799470"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04799470"
last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:06:53.416Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Brain stimulation improves motor control

**Goal (in five words):** Brain stimulation improves motor control

**Official Title:** Novel DBS Stimulation Patterns for Treatment of Parkinson's Disease - UNMC/Medtronic Collaborative Acute Feasibility Pilot

**Trial ID:** [NCT04799470](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04799470)

## Key Facts

- **Phase:** NA
- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Sponsor:** University of Nebraska
- **Target Enrollment:** 10 participants
- **Start Date:** 2021-05-10
- **Completion Date:** 2026-04
- **Conditions:** Parkinson's Disease
- **Interventions:** Novel DBS stimulation patterns
- **Intervention Types:** DEVICE

## Summary For Families

The goal is to see whether new patterns of deep brain stimulation can better target the abnormal beta brain rhythms that underlie Parkinson's motor symptoms, potentially making stimulation more precise for people already helped by DBS. The approach tests novel timing and pulse patterns delivered through your existing Medtronic Percept PC, using the Percept BrainSense survey to detect a robust beta peak (≥ 0.7 µV/rtHz) and see how changing the stimulation pattern interacts with those rhythms while you remain on your usual DBS settings and medications. Adults 19 to 80 with idiopathic Parkinson's who already have bilateral STN DBS with a Percept PC, are at least 3 months post-op with optimized meds and settings, show a good clinical response and a detectable beta peak are eligible; people with implanted cardiac devices, unstable or unusual programming needs, or a Percept flagged for replacement are excluded.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 19 Years
- **Maximum age:** 80 Years
- **Sex:** ALL

### Full Criteria

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients with idiopathic Parkinson's Disease who were recommended for STN DBS using standard clinical inclusion and exclusion criteria (e.g., presence of coagulopathy, dementia, untreated depression, pre-existing implanted stimulation system, prior intracranial surgery, history of alcohol or drug abuse)
* Patients have been previously implanted with bilateral STN DBS and the Medtronic Percept PC implantable neural stimulator.
* Patients are optimized for clinical stimulation and medication for at least 3 months post-surgery for the implantation of their DBS system.
* Consent to study participation
* Presence of a robust beta peak (detectable using the Percept BrainSense Survey feature; ≥ 0.7 µV/rtHz), intra-operatively (assessed via Lead Confirm technology from Alpha Omega)
* Good response to stimulation (30% improvement on UPDRS III compared to baseline OFF), at least 3 months post-surgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Not currently implanted with the Medtronic Percept INS
* Not willing to participate in the study
* Unstable stimulation with need for frequent reprogramming or further adjustment
* Significant stimulation-induced side effects
* Need for unusual programming parameters such as very high (\> 200 Hz) or low (\< 100) frequencies (due to cycle limitations)
* The patient has an implanted cardiac device
* The patients Medtronic Percept TM PC indicates elective-replacement-indicated (ERI) at the start of the study
```

## Locations (1)

- Unversity of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States _(41.2563, -95.9404)_
  - Dulce Maroni, PhD — (CONTACT) — 402-215-3053 — dmaroni@unmc.edu

## Central Contacts

- Dulce Maroni, PhD — (CONTACT) — 402-215-3053 — dmaroni@unmc.edu
- Jonathan Nguyen — (CONTACT) — 402-836-9407 — jon.nguyen@unmc.edu

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT04799470*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT04799470*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04799470*