---
title: Reduce freezing episodes while walking
nct_id: NCT07488026
phase: NA
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT07488026"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07488026"
last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:02:44.116Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Reduce freezing episodes while walking

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

**Official Title:** Effects of the Stimulation Site of Trans-spinal Magnetic Stimulation Combined With Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Functional Mobility in Individuals With Parkinson's Disease

**Trial ID:** [NCT07488026](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07488026)

## Key Facts

- **Phase:** NA
- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Sponsor:** Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
- **Target Enrollment:** 30 participants
- **Start Date:** 2026-01-05
- **Completion Date:** 2026-11
- **Conditions:** Parkinson's Disease (PD), Gait Disorders, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Spinal Cord Stimulation
- **Interventions:** Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Cervical Trans-spinal Magnetic Stimulation, Thoracic Trans-spinal Magnetic Stimulation
- **Intervention Types:** DEVICE

## Summary For Families

Researchers want to see if pairing brain magnetic stimulation with magnetic pulses over the spinal cord can improve walking and reduce freezing episodes in people with mid-stage Parkinson's. The approach uses repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to modulate motor areas of the brain plus repetitive trans-spinal magnetic stimulation at either the cervical or thoracic level to directly activate spinal motor circuits, with the goal of improving timing and strength of leg muscle activity. Participants stay on their usual dopaminergic medications, so the stimulation is being tested as an add-on to, not a replacement for, levodopa or other Parkinson's drugs. The study enrolls adults 40 and older with neurologist-confirmed PD, Hoehn and Yahr stage 2.5,3, stable dopaminergic treatment for at least three months, at least one freezing-of-gait episode per week, and adequate cognition (MoCA ≥ 21); people with prior PD surgery, metal in the neck or spine, a history of seizures, or other conditions that affect walking are excluded.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 40 Years
- **Sex:** ALL

### Full Criteria

```
Inclusion Criteria: (i) a clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease confirmed by a neurologist; (ii) stable dopaminergic pharmacological treatment for at least three months; (iii) age 40 years or older; (iv) disease stage between 2.5 and 3 on the modified Hoehn and Yahr scale; (v) (v) gait impairment, defined as the occurrence of at least one freezing of gait episode per week.

\-

Exclusion Criteria:

(i) other neurological disorders, orthostatic hypotension, vestibular, musculoskeletal, or visual impairments that could compromise performance on the proposed assessments; (ii) other osteomuscular conditions affecting the lower limbs that interfere with mobility and functional performance; (iii) a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score lower than 21 points; (iv) prior surgical procedures for Parkinson's disease; or (v) contraindications to magnetic stimulation techniques, including a history of seizures or the presence of metallic implants in the neck or spinal region.
```

## Locations (1)

- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil _(-8.0539, -34.8811)_
  - Ana Cecília Ribeiro — (CONTACT) — +55 8199893-6664 — anaceciliaribeiro.n@gmail.com

## Central Contacts

- Ana Cecília Ribeiro Nascimento, Msc. student — (CONTACT) — (81) 99893-6664 — anaceciliaribeiro.n@gmail.com

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT07488026*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT07488026*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07488026*