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TUS to Disrupt Pathological Oscillations

NCT06932185 · Status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 30

Last updated 2025-04-17

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Scientists and clinicians are interested in measuring and perturbing the signals in the brain - both to better understand normal operation and explore new therapy options for disease. One example of a signal is a "brainwave," also called a neural oscillation, which is a periodic oscillation of the electrical signals in the brain and which are linked to both normal and abnormal brain function.

When circuits in the brain are not working properly, investigators can see changes in the characteristics of these oscillations. Many neurological conditions produce changes in brainwaves. For example, in patients with Parkinson's disease, oscillations in the "beta band" (approximately 15Hz) are observed to be more prominent. In another example, investigators see similar large oscillations in the presence of a seizure in people with epilepsy. Disrupting these abnormal oscillations can treat some of the symptoms of disease. One example of this is found in Parkinson's disease, where surgeons can implant electrodes deep in the brain and electrically stimulate cells by a process called deep brain stimulation (DBS). With DBS, it is possible to suppress these beta oscillations and improve symptoms. However, DBS is a highly invasive procedure that includes the need for a burr hole in the skull, placement of the electrode in the brain, and insertion of a "pacemaker" in the chest with wires tunnelled through the neck. The investigators propose to use ultrasound to modify pathological brainwaves non-invasively.

While the proof-of-concept is in Parkinson's disease, the potential impact is much broader - if successful, the investigators will provide a non-invasive paradigm for probing the brain and exploring novel treatments for neurological conditions, such as pain and cognitive disorders.

Conditions

  • Parkinson Disease

Interventions

OTHER

Transcranial Focussed Ultrasound - Active

Transcranial focussed ultrasound to target site

OTHER

Transcranial Focussed Ultrasound - Sham

Transcranial focussed ultrasound off

OTHER

Transcranial Focussed Ultrasound - Active control

Transcranial focussed ultrasound on to control

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Oxford

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-02-28
Primary Completion
2028-06-09
Completion
2028-07-09

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06932185 on ClinicalTrials.gov