ClinicalTrials.gg
Not yet recruitingNCT07384442Updated Jun 10, 2026

Effects of Targeted Temporal Interference Stimulation of Cerebellar Nuclei on Tremor and Gait Disturbance in Parkinson's Disease Patients

An interventional study of Sham Temporal Interference Stimulation and Real Temporal Interference Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, sponsored by YangPan. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 50 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-10.

Sponsored by YangPan · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
50
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
50 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to explore the effects of cerebellar nuclei TIS stimulation on improving tremor and gait disorders in PD patients. Through randomized double-blind grouping, the differences in efficacy between TIS intervention and sham stimulation intervention for tremor and gait disorders in PD patients will be compared.

Read the detailed description

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with an extremely high global incidence rate and is also one of the most common movement disorders. The core motor symptoms of this disease are particularly complex, encompassing various specific clinical features, including bradykinesia, resting tremor, muscle rigidity, and postural and gait disturbances. The progressive worsening of these symptoms is closely associated with the gradual loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra-striatal pathway of the brain, which directly leads to significant impairment of motor control function. In recent years, with the continuous advancement of neuroimaging techniques and electrophysiological research methods, scientists have gradually revealed the critical role of the cerebellum in the pathophysiological mechanisms of Parkinson's disease. Studies have shown that the cerebellum is not only a key node in the motor control network but also deeply involved in the pathogenesis of PD tremor through the thalamocortical circuit. Additionally, the cerebellum plays an indispensable role in regulating gait stability through functional connections with the basal ganglia and cerebral cortex. Based on the dual role of the cerebellum in the pathophysiological processes of Parkinson's disease, this study plans to employ an innovative technical approach-targeted temporal interference stimulation (TIS) of cerebellar nuclei-to precisely modulate the activity of cerebellar neural circuits in a non-invasive manner. The cerebellar nuclei are located deep within the white matter of the cerebellum and can be further subdivided into the dentate nucleus, intercalated nucleus, and vermis, which exhibit distinct differences from the cerebellar cortex. As the core output hub of the entire cerebellum, all signals originating from the cerebellar cortex ultimately converge here before being projected to the cerebral cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord, regulating motor coordination, gait, balance, muscle tone, and tremors. Transcranial induction stimulation (TIS) non-invasively modulates the intact cerebellar nuclei, enabling direct regulation of cerebellar function, which is more efficient compared to modulating the cerebellar cortex.

The objective of this intervention approach is to validate its efficacy in improving tremor and gait disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), thereby providing a novel neuromodulatory strategy for the clinical treatment of motor symptoms in PD and further expanding our understanding and application scope of therapeutic approaches for this disorder.

To explore the effect of TIS targeting cerebellar nuclei on tremor and gait disorders in PD patients. Participants will be assigned to group active TIS/sham TIS by using the method of generating random numbers and receive:

  1. Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) before and after the treatment course.
  2. Zhenluo Gait Device evaluation.
  3. Electromyography tremor assessment Researchers will compare the data collected from UPDRS, Zhenluo Gait Device analysis, and electromyography tremor assessment rating between the active TIS group and sham controls before and after the treatment to see if there are meliorating effects of TIS on Parkinson's disease.
02

Conditions studied

  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Movement Disorders

Keywords

  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Cerebellar Nuclei
  • Movement Disorders
  • Tremor
  • Gait
  • Temporal Interference Stimulation
03

In context

Parkinson Disease

4,573 studies on the registry are indexed under Parkinson Disease; 1,086 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 50 is above the median of 40 across 3,353 interventional studies indexed under Parkinson Disease.

Browse Parkinson Disease studies →

Lead sponsor

YangPan is the lead sponsor of 2 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
50 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

  • 1.Aged 50 years or older;
  • 2.Confirmed diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) according to the 2015 MDS diagnostic criteria, with tremor and gait disturbance;
  • 3.Disease duration ≥2 years after diagnosis, stable condition, and ability to cooperate with study assessment and intervention;
  • 4.Stable medication dosage for at least 4 weeks prior to the trial;
  • 5.Good response to Levodopa therapy;
  • 6.Capable of independent walking (without assistive devices) for at least 5 minutes and able to complete gait testing independently.
  • 7.Signed form, with the participant or their legal guardian able to understand and willing to participate in this study.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • 1.History or confirmed diagnosis of severe mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and bipolar disorder;
  • 2.The subject has clinically defined neurological conditions (assessed through self-report), including but not limited to: any disease potentially associated with increased intracranial pressure, space-occupying lesions, stroke history, (TIA) within the past two years, cerebral aneurysm, dementia, multiple sclerosis;
  • 3.Severe cognitive impairment, (MMSE) score \<22, or inability to independently complete questionnaires;
  • 4.Inability to read or understand Chinese;
  • 5.Use of other neuromodulatory therapies within the past 3 months;
  • 6.Presence of musculoskeletal or orthopedic conditions (e.g., severe arthritis, recent fractures) that significantly interfere with gait or balance;
  • 7.Presence of metal implants (e.g., Deep Brain Stimulation, cardiac pacemakers) or for MRI/TIS;
  • 8.Current use of medications that affect dopamine levels (e.g., antipsychotics);
  • 9.Severe cardiovascular disease or other unstable medical conditions that preclude physical exertion or study participation;
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(4)

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

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

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.

TIA (transient ischaemic attack)

A “mini-stroke”: temporary stroke-like symptoms caused by reduced blood flow to part of the brain, spinal cord or eye, without signs of a new stroke on a scan.

Stroke symptoms need emergency care at once, even if they go away.

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.

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.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
50 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Sham comparator
    Sham Comparator

    Sham stimulation targeting the cerebellar nuclei

    Device: Sham Temporal Interference Stimulation

  • Active comparator
    Active Comparator

    Real TIS targeting the cerebellar nuclei

    Device: Real Temporal Interference Stimulation

Interventions

  • DeviceSham Temporal Interference Stimulation

    Patients will be randomly allocated into this group, and they will receive sham TIS-targeted stimulation of cerebellar nuclei, stimulating both sides of the cerebellum daily for 20 minutes each side. Start with the left side, immediately followed by the right side upon completion, totaling 40 minutes of stimulation. Continue this cycle for 5 days, followed by 2 days of rest, then repeat for another 5 days, repeating this process continuously for 19 days.The TIS frequency was set to 0 Hz to prevent the generation of envelope currents.

  • DeviceReal Temporal Interference Stimulation

    Patients will be randomly allocated into this group, and they will receive real stimulation.TIS-targeted stimulation of cerebellar nuclei, stimulating both sides of the cerebellum daily for 20 minutes each side. Start with the left side, immediately followed by the right side upon completion, totaling 40 minutes of stimulation. Continue this cycle for 5 days, followed by 2 days of rest, then repeat for another 5 days, repeating this process continuously for 19 days. The TIS was set at a frequency of 100 Hz; The stimulus frequency difference was fixed for each subject, while the stimulus current was adjusted based on individual tolerance and clinical needs.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Changes of electromyographic tremor index

    The values of the tremor amplitude (oscillatory displacement) will be collected from each participant to measure the intensity of the tremor with values ranging from 0 mm (absence of tremor) to the peak amplitude (maximum intensity). The higher values mean a worse motor stability.

    Time frame: Baseline, at the end of the 19-day post-treatment, 30-day follow up.

  2. Changes of Zhenluo Gait Device evaluation

    The parameters of the Zhenluo Gait Device evaluation (spatiotemporal gait analysis) will be collected from each participant to measure the stability and quality of walking patterns with values ranging from pathological (abnormal deviation) to physiological (normal gait). The greater deviation from normative data means a worse gait performance.

    Time frame: Baseline, at the end of the 19-day post-treatment, 30-day follow up.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Changes in the scores of the UPDRS

    The UPDRS (total) score will be collected from each participant to measure the overall severity of Parkinson's disease, with scores ranging from 0 (minimum) to 199 (maximum). The higher scores mean a worse outcome.

    Time frame: Baseline, at the end of the 19-day post-treatment, 30-day follow up.

07

Study locations

1 site
08

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Start is estimated for Aug 2026; primary completion for Dec 2026, 4 months later.

Of 1,291 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Parkinson Disease, half reached primary completion within 24 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 44. This study's planned 4 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 1,367 studies reached it within 25 months; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 44.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jan 26, 2026
First posted
Feb 3, 2026
StartEst.
Aug 19, 2026
Primary completionEst.
Dec 31, 2026
CompletionEst.
Dec 31, 2026
Last update
Jun 10, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 10, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07384442
Lead sponsor
YangPan
Responsible party
YangPan (Zhongnan Hospital, Zhongnan Hospital) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Feb 3, 2026
Start date
Aug 19, 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Jun 10, 2026

Study contacts

Yang Pan
Contact
panyang.zn@whu.edu.cn
+8613952098253

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Jan 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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