Non-invasive Brain Mapping of Movement Facilitation in Parkinson's Disease

Description

Several strategies or contexts help patients with Parkinson's disease to move more quickly or normally, however the brain mechanisms underlying these phenomena are poorly understood. The proposed studies use complimentary brain mapping techniques to understand the brain mechanisms supporting improved movements elicited by external cues. The central hypothesis is that distinct networks are involved in movement improvement depending on characteristics of the facilitating stimulus. Participants will perform movement tasks during recording of brain activity with EEG and MRI. The identified biomarkers may provide targets for future neuromodulation therapies to improve symptoms that are refractory to current treatments, such as freezing of gait.

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Several strategies or contexts help patients with Parkinson's disease to move more quickly or normally, however the brain mechanisms underlying these phenomena are poorly understood. The proposed studies use complimentary brain mapping techniques to understand the brain mechanisms supporting improved movements elicited by external cues. The central hypothesis is that distinct networks are involved in movement improvement depending on characteristics of the facilitating stimulus. Participants will perform movement tasks during recording of brain activity with EEG and MRI. The identified biomarkers may provide targets for future neuromodulation therapies to improve symptoms that are refractory to current treatments, such as freezing of gait.

Non-invasive Brain Mapping of Movement Facilitation in Parkinson's Disease

Non-invasive Brain Mapping of Movement Facilitation in Parkinson's Disease

Condition
Parkinson Disease
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Los Angeles

University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease based on presence of at least 2 cardinal features (tremor, rigidity or bradykinesia) OR healthy adult with no neurologic disease
  • * Age \> 18 years old
  • * Dementia as indicated by score on Montreal Cognitive Assessment \< 19
  • * Active hallucinations or psychosis
  • * Contraindications to MRI (metal implant, claustrophobia)

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

University of California, Los Angeles,

Study Record Dates

2026-09