---
title: Reduce freezing episodes during walking
nct_id: NCT06982638
phase: NA
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06982638"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06982638"
last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:08:00.316Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Reduce freezing episodes during walking

**Goal (in five words):** Reduce freezing episodes during walking

**Official Title:** Accelerated TMS for Freezing of Gait in Parkinson's Disease

**Trial ID:** [NCT06982638](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06982638)

## Key Facts

- **Phase:** NA
- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Sponsor:** Medical University of South Carolina
- **Target Enrollment:** 12 participants
- **Start Date:** 2024-11-21
- **Completion Date:** 2026-12-31
- **Conditions:** Parkinson's Disease (PD)
- **Interventions:** TMS+ Gait training
- **Intervention Types:** DEVICE

## Summary For Families

They want to reduce freezing of gait, those sudden stops in walking that make movement unsafe and limit independence. The approach pairs accelerated transcranial magnetic stimulation, which uses targeted magnetic pulses to boost activity in brain regions that control walking, with guided gait training to help retrain those circuits; TMS is noninvasive and is intended to add to, not replace, existing Parkinson medications, so dosing should be stable. Looking for people 50 to 80 years old with Parkinson's who have confirmed freezing on a standard questionnaire and on exam, who can complete walk tests without an assist device, and who have had no recent changes to dopaminergic meds. People with seizure history, implanted electronic or metal devices, major non‑PD gait problems, significant cognitive or psychotic disorders, pregnancy, or any MRI/TMS safety concerns are excluded, and enrollment is small.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 50 Years
- **Maximum age:** 80 Years
- **Sex:** ALL

### Full Criteria

```
Inclusion Criteria:

1. 50-80 years of age
2. diagnosis of PD based on UK Brain Bank diagnostic criteria 55
3. presence of FOG defined as a score of 1 on part 1 of the nFOGQ in which a video showing different types of freezing is played for the patient, a score of 1 represents a positive response of having experienced such an episode over the last month
4. no dopaminergic medication changes in the month prior
5. observed FOG rated as \>1 in item 3.11 of the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. a history of other significant gait impairment unrelated to PD (e.g. orthopedic deformities)
2. inability to complete gait assessments (timed up and go task) without assistance or assist devices
3. barriers to making contact between the TMS coil and the skin (e.g. braids that cannot be removed)
4. failing to meet all criteria on a standardized MRI/TMS safety screening: This includes, but is not limited to, the presence of claustrophobia, implanted electronic devices (e.g., pacemakers), metallic objects or fragments (e.g., bullets), and non-removable hair clips or piercings.
5. individuals with a diagnosis of psychosis or any other cognitive impairments that would make them unable to understand and follow study instructions or to consent for themselves.
6. pregnancy
7. individuals with a history of seizure
```

## Locations (1)

- Medical University of South Carlina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States _(32.7763, -79.9327)_
  - Niloufar Malakouti, MD, MSc — (CONTACT) — 843-792-0235 — malakout@musc.edu
  - Gonzalo Revuelta, DO — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

## Central Contacts

- Niloufar Malakouti, MD, MSc — (CONTACT) — 843-792-0235 — malakout@musc.edu

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06982638*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06982638*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06982638*