Cerebellar Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) to Modulate Parkinson's Disease Tremor

NCT06993571 · tracked via the Priya Life Science Germany tracker

Sponsor

Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

Phase

Not applicable

Started

2025-04-16

Last updated

2026-09-01

Condition(s) studied

Parkinson's Disease (PD)Tremor

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Active-tACSSham-tACSUnlocked-tACS

Active-tACS: 30 seconds of closed-loop tACS at 2-4 mA, with 6 alternating phase alignments and 1-3 repetitions. Phase alignment is adjusted to the patient's tremor frequency and rhythm in real time. Administered using the neuroConn LOOPIT device and 2 electrodes placed on the cerebellum and jaw, with an area of 5x5 and 5x7 respectively. The stimulation begins with a 3-second ramp-up and ends with a 3-second ramp-down.

Sham-tACS: 30 seconds of tACS at 0 mA and 1-3 repetitions. Administered using the neuroConn LOOPIT device and 2 electrodes placed on the cerebellum and jaw, with an area of 5x5 and 5x7 respectively. The sham protocol begins with a 3-second ramp-up and ends with a 3-second ramp-down.

Unlocked-tACS: 30 seconds of open-loop tACS at 2-4 mA, with no phase alignments and 1-3 repetitions. Administered using the neuroConn LOOPIT device and 2 electrodes placed on the cerebellum and jaw, with an area of 5x5 and 5x7 respectively. The stimulation begins with a 3-second ramp-up and ends with a 3-second ramp-down.

Study summary

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by different motor symptoms, including tremor, which is particularly difficult to manage. Common treatments, such as dopaminergic therapy, can have limitations in efficacy. Recent advancements in non-invasive brain stimulation, specifically phase-adaptive transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), offer a promising approach to reduce PD tremor. In the current project, a newly developed closed-loop system delivers precisely synchronized cerebellar tACS by aligning stimulation with the intrinsic hand tremor signal. The study will assess the efficacy of this novel approach to reduce hand tremor in PD patients.

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Min age

18 Years

Max age

—

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria: * Clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease based on UK Brain Bank criteria * Patient exhibiting moderate to severe hand tremor * Provision written informed consent by the patient Exclusion Criteria: * History of other neurological disorders such as vascular malformations, ischemic or haemorrhagic stroke, cerebral neoplasia, epilepsy, or major psychiatric illness * Existence of heart pacemaker or metal implants in the body * Pregnancy

Primary outcome measure(s)

Change in tremor amplitude — During the stimulation
A significant change in the amplitude of hand tremor as the active tACS stimulation with the optimum phase alignment is being delivered. Tremor amplitude is computed offline in MATLAB.

Trial sites (1)

Facility	City	Region	Status
Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf	Hamburg	Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg	Recruiting

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Official registry record

This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.

View NCT06993571 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ ← All trials in Germany