---
title: Brain stimulation reduces impulsive choices
nct_id: NCT06485986
phase: NA
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: University of Oxford
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06485986"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06485986"
last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:05:49.845Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Brain stimulation reduces impulsive choices

**Goal (in five words):** Brain stimulation reduces impulsive choices

**Official Title:** Frontosubthalamic Network Dynamics and Their Modulation During Impulse Control and Decision Making in Parkinson's Disease

**Trial ID:** [NCT06485986](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06485986)

## Key Facts

- **Phase:** NA
- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Sponsor:** University of Oxford
- **Target Enrollment:** 20 participants
- **Start Date:** 2024-06-01
- **Completion Date:** 2026-08-01
- **Conditions:** Parkinson Disease, Impulse Control Disorder
- **Interventions:** DBS on/off
- **Intervention Types:** OTHER

## Summary For Families

The team wants to map how the fronto‑subthalamic brain network controls decision making and impulsive behaviours in Parkinson's, and to see how stimulating the subthalamic nucleus changes those brain signals and impulse control. People who already have STN deep brain stimulation will do decision and impulse‑control tasks while brain activity is recorded with MEG, with DBS switched on and off so researchers can compare network dynamics. DBS changes electrical activity in the subthalamic nucleus, which can alter both motor circuits and decision‑making pathways; because DBS is usually used alongside levodopa, participants will delay their morning dopamine dose for up to four hours so the team can separate stimulation effects from medication effects. The trial is for adults 18 and over with Parkinson's who already have STN electrodes and are on dopamine replacement, with or without impulse control disorders, who can sit in an MEG scanner and safely delay their morning meds.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 18 Years
- **Sex:** ALL

### Full Criteria

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study.
* Male or Female, aged 18 years or above.
* Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease who have required implanted STN electrodes for DBS in addition to their dopamine replacement therapy.
* Diagnosed with or without (control group) impulse control disorders since the diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease.
* Participant willing and able to sit in the MEG scanner and follow instructions.
* Participant willing and able to delay their morning dose of dopamine replacement therapy for up to four hours (180 minutes experimental time + journey time).

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients with extreme language barrier that cannot understand the purpose or instructions of the study despite the use of an interpreter.
* Other implanted medical devices that may cause artefacts during MEG recordings.
* Participants with a history of co-morbid neurological disorders.
* Participant enrolled onto another clinical trial related to a neurological disorder (including Parkinson's disease) that may interfere with the results of this study.
* Participants who are unable to sit still in a MEG scanner for the duration of this experiment e.g. patients with chronic pain or osteoarthritis. This will be assessed with their primary clinician
```

## Locations (1)

- John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom _(51.7522, -1.2560)_
  - John Eraifej, BSc MBChB MRCS — (CONTACT) — 01865222763

## Central Contacts

- John Eraifej, BSc MBChB MRCS — (CONTACT) — 01865222763 — john.eraifej@ndcn.ox.ac.uk

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06485986*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06485986*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06485986*