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RecruitingNCT07049003rT DBSUpdated Jul 10, 2026

Deep Brain Stimulation of the Deep Cerebellar Nuclei for Refractory Tremor

A Phase 1 interventional study of Deep Brain Stimulation in Tremor and Essential Tremor, sponsored by The Cleveland Clinic. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 21 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-10.

Sponsored by The Cleveland Clinic · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Jan 2026; still recruiting 9 months later.
Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
12
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
21 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This objective of this study is to document the safety and feasibility of electrical stimulation of the deep cerebellar nuclei for refractory tremor using the Medtronic Percept RC Deep Brain Stimulation System. The population will consist of patients that have either failed a prior intervention (Vim DBS or HIFU thalamotomy) or determined to not be suitable candidates for Vim DBS or HIFU thalamotomy because they have a cerebellar outflow or MS-related tremor. Those patients with a previous intervention, must have a prior diagnosis of ET, cerebellar outflow tremor, or MS-related tremor. Subjects without a previous intervention must have a diagnosis of cerebellar outflow tremor or MS-related tremor.

02

Conditions studied

  • Tremor
  • Essential Tremor
03

In context

Tremor

158 studies on the registry are indexed under Tremor; 44 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 12 is below the median of 33 across 109 interventional studies indexed under Tremor.

Browse Tremor studies →

Lead sponsor

The Cleveland Clinic is the lead sponsor of 831 studies on the registry; 119 are open to participants now.

Of its 90 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 73 (81%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
21 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 21 years and older;
  • Ability to give ;
  • Diagnosis of ET, cerebellar tremor, or MS-related tremor with a failed a prior intervention (VIM DBS or HIFU thalamotomy) or determined to not be suitable candidates for VIM DBS or HIFU thalamotomy because they have a cerebellar outflow or MS-related tremor.
  • Tremor history of at least three years;
  • Tremor that is to medical management;
  • A score of ≥24 on the ;
  • Inability to successfully perform ADLs without assistance or has lost interest in social, professional, or personal activities due to tremor

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any other neurological condition that could reduce the safety of study participation including central nervous system vasculitis and intracranial
  • A condition that, in the opinion of the clinical investigator, would significantly increase the risk or interfere with study compliance, safety, or outcome;
  • A diagnosis of dementia;
  • Tremors due to other neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, dystonia, or other conditions not consistent with ET, cerebellar outflow tremor, or MS-related tremor.
  • Diagnosis of epilepsy;
  • Major active and untreated psychiatric illness that may interfere with study, such as psychotic disorders or severe personality disorders;
  • Untreated or inadequately treated depression defined by a score of 20 or greater on the Beck Depression Inventory-II at the time of enrollment;
  • At risk for suicide defined by a score greater or equal to 3 on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS);
  • Pregnancy;
  • Unable to communicate with investigators or staff;
  • Surgical to DN DBS;
  • Contraindication to magnetic resonance (MRI) imaging, e.g., weight incompatible with scanner, implanted metallic devices or electrical devices (pacemaker, defibrillator, spinal cord stimulator, prior DBS) or intolerance to MRI contrast agent;
  • Enrolled in another device, biologic or pharmaceutical study within 30 days of consent in the current study, (i.e., patient cannot be enrolled if participation in another study was not completed at least 30 days prior to consent.);
  • Evidence of behavior(s) consistent with alcohol or substance abuse/dependence as defined by the criteria outlined in the within the preceding six months;
  • Injection of botulinum toxins into the arm, neck or face within six months prior to baseline;
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(6)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

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You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Relapsed and refractory

Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.

MMSE and MoCA

Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

DSM diagnostic criteria

The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
12 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Refractory Tremor

    Medtronic Percept RC DBS System

    Device: Deep Brain Stimulation

Interventions

  • DeviceDeep Brain Stimulation

    Deep Brain Stimulation of the Deep Cerebellar Nuclei

    Also known as: Medtronic Percept DBS System

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. The incidence and nature of treatment-related adverse events

    The accumulation of adverse events across all subjects

    Time frame: From DBS Implant Surgery through study completion, an average of 17 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Fahn Tolosa Marin Tremor Rating Scale

    An objective measurement of the severity of tremor. A 32-part questionnaire that evaluates tremor severity by assigning a numerical value of 0-4 to the answers for 32 questions. Numerical values are added together for a total score. A higher score represents a more severe tremor than a lower score.

    Time frame: From DBS Implant Surgery through study completion, an average of 17 months

  2. DBS-evoked potentials

    The prevalence and strength of markers of electrophysiological activity across the cerebellothalamocorticomuscular (CTCM) network at rest and during tremor-eliciting motor behaviors.

    Time frame: From DBS Implant Surgery through study completion, an average of 17 months

  3. 4-8 HZ (theta) tremor related oscillations

    Examination of how the DN and VIM DBS (when present) modulate oscillatory activity and coupling across the CTCM circuit in relation to improvements in tremor control. A 4-8Hz (theta) tremor-related oscillation is observed consistently in the VIM during motor activity, which parallels the activity-dependent appearance of tremor in patients with ET.

    Time frame: From DBS Implant Surgery through study completion, an average of 17 months

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 10, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07049003
Collaborators
Raynor Cerebellum Project, Medtronic
Responsible party
Andre Machado (Institute Chief Neurological Institute, The Cleveland Clinic) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jul 3, 2025
Start date
Jan 15, 2026
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2029 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2029 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 10, 2026

Study contacts

Jeffrey Negrey, MA
Contact
negreyj2@ccf.org
2163166896

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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