Testing LIFUS against a placebo for Parkinson's disease (PD)
Official title: LIFUS For Neurological Disorders
Clinical Effects of Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation in Patients With Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders
Interventions
LIFUS
Low-intensity focused ultrasound neuromodulation delivered to targeted cortical and/or subcortical brain regions to transiently modulate neural activity. LIFUS may be applied alone or in combination with concurrent neurophysiological assessments (e.g., TMS-evoked motor evoked potentials, EEG recordings, or DBS local field potential sensing) depending on the study component.
Sham LIFUS
Sham low-intensity focused ultrasound stimulation designed to mimic the sensory and procedural aspects of active LIFUS without delivering therapeutic ultrasound energy. The sham condition serves as a control to maintain blinding of participants and investigators.
Canadian Sites (1)
Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst St
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for11 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +18-85 years of age
- +Patients diagnosed with neurological disorders, (such as epilepsy, brain tumour, movement disorders) or psychiatric disorders (such as substance abuse disorder)
- +Patients undergoing medical or surgical treatment (such as DBS) for neurological disorders
Exclusion
- −History of stroke
- −Comorbid dementia
- −Scored below 22 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
- −Has an implanted cardiac pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)
- −Presence of metal implanted in body that is contraindicated in TMS/MRI
- −Major depression/psychiatric disorder that in the opinion of the InvestigatorPrincipal investigatorThe doctor or researcher responsible for running the study at a site.Read more → will affect patient's understanding of study procedures and willingness to abide by all procedures during the course of the study
- −Receiving a psychotropic medication or taking recreational substances that in the opinion of the investigator will significantly affect safety of the protocolProtocolThe detailed plan a study must follow.Read more →
- −Major systemic illness or infection
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is investigating how something functions in the body, rather than testing a treatment directly.
This study is not organised into the usual phase numbers — that is common for device, behavioural, and diagnostic research.
What is being given or done in this study: LIFUS, ShamSham procedureA procedure made to feel like the real one, without the active step.Read more → LIFUS.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
- armsInterventionsModule.interventions[].name
How the study is run
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
This study is open-labelOpen-labelEveryone knows which treatment is being given — nothing is hidden.Read more →: everyone knows which treatment is being given, including you and the study team.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
One group receives a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → — a dummy treatment with no active medicine in it.
There are 2 groups in this study.
From the trial registry
Built from this field:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Who the study is looking for
The study lists an age range of 18 years to 85 years.
The study is open to people of any sex.
The study accepts healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more → as well as people with the condition.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 50 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around December 2040.
The main measurement is taken over: BaselineBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more → and post-intervention on Day 1.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Neurophysiological Effects of Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound — measured over BaselineBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more → and post-intervention on Day 1.
Change in Clinical and Behavioral Function Following LIFUS — measured over Baseline and post-intervention on Day 1.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT07417280 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About LIFUSDevice
Low-intensity focused ultrasound neuromodulation delivered to targeted cortical and/or subcortical brain regions to transiently modulate neural activity. LIFUS may be applied alone or in combination with concurrent neurophysiological assessments (e.g., TMS-evoked motor evoked potentials, EEG recordings, or DBS local field potential sensing) depending on the study component.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a device is here: A physical instrument, implant, app or piece of equipment being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About Sham LIFUSDevice
Sham low-intensity focused ultrasound stimulation designed to mimic the sensory and procedural aspects of active LIFUS without delivering therapeutic ultrasound energy. The sham condition serves as a control to maintain blinding of participants and investigators.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a device is here: A physical instrument, implant, app or piece of equipment being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
What the study lists: an age range of 18 years to 85 years.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
Yes. This study includes a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group — a dummy treatment with no active medicine in it.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
This study is open-labelOpen-labelEveryone knows which treatment is being given — nothing is hidden.Read more →: everyone knows which treatment is being given, including you and the study team.
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
The study lists an age range of 18 years to 85 years.
It is open to people of any sex.
It accepts healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more → as well as people with the condition.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: BaselineBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more → and post-intervention on Day 1.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2040-12-31.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 50 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists one location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
Low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFUS) has the potential to be used as a means of non-invasive neuro-modulation. To this day, the use of LIFUS is under investigation. Studies in healthy subjects have shown that application of LIFUS to the motor region of the brain can mildly decrease neuron excitability in healthy controls. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effects of LIFUS on brain tissue excitability in patients with movement disorders in order to elucidate the therapeutic potential of LIFUS.
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See if this trial could fit youThis page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.