Median nerve stimulation for Parkinson's disease tremor
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled, trial of rhythmic 10Hz median nerve stimulation for the reduction of Parkinson's disease tremor
IRAS ID
340227
Contact name
Stephen Jackson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 30 days
Research summary
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a movement disorder that affects approximately 1% of individuals over 60 years old. Tremor is one of the main motor symptoms of PD and occurs in approximately 75% of individuals. Tremor can have a significant impact on quality of life due to the difficulty caused by its interference during everyday tasks such as writing. Tremor in PD has a variable response to medication, but it has been demonstrated that PD tremor can be temporarily suppressed by delivering non-invasive brain stimulation to motor regions of the brain.
Our group at the University of Nottingham have previously shown that delivering rhythmic electrical stimulation to the median nerve at the wrist can substantially reduce the severity and frequency of unwanted movements and vocalisations (known as tics) in individuals with Tourette syndrome. We worked with a medical device company, Neurotherapeutics Ltd, to design a prototype ‘watch-like’ therapeutic device that could be used outside of the clinic to deliver median nerve stimulation (MNS) on demand, and thereby reduce vocal and motor tics. Following the success of a double-blind, sham-controlled, home-administered clinical trial of this device, and ensuing media coverage, we were contacted by many individuals with PD to ask if this approach might be effective in treating their tremor symptoms. As a result, we received funding from the Parkinson’s Disease Society to investigate MNS as a non-drug treatment for the improvement of PD tremor.
The aim of this project is to determine whether trains of MNS that affect motor regions of the brain can be used to effectively suppress PD tremor symptoms in a home setting. We will do this through assessment of symptom change using questionnaires and monitoring the changes in the amplitude and frequency of the tremor during two weeks of stimulation using the portable, ‘watch-like’ device.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/EM/0014
Date of REC Opinion
3 Mar 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion