Short Pulse Width DBS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A double-blind randomized crossover comparison of short pulse width versus conventional pulse width deep brain stimulation (DBS) in Parkinson’s disease patients with previously implanted DBS systems- a pilot trial
IRAS ID
187583
Contact name
Thomas Foltynie
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 2 days
Research summary
A subgroup of patients with Parkinson's disease can experience major improvements in their symptom control following treatment with subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS). In a proportion of these patients, the benefits of the therapy are limited because of stimulation induced side effects which can include slurring of speech (dysarthria) or difficulty in initiating/maintaining walking (gait freezing).
Mathematical modelling of the effects of different stimulation settings on different nerve cell elements in the brain has suggested that shorter pulses of electrical stimulation may have greater beneficial effects and fewer side effects.
After discussion with DBS device manufacturer Medtronic, the facility to test shorter pulse width stimulation has been made possible using a new software card compatible with the existing DBS device programmer.
To explore whether shorter pulse width stimulation has objective beneficial effects, this project will recruit 16 STN DBS patients experiencing stimulation induced side effects and compare their performance on a speech task alongside routine assessment of their movement and walking while using their conventional DBS settings in comparison to the same assessments collected while using a short pulse width setting.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
17/NI/0203
Date of REC Opinion
16 Nov 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion