Parkinson's Disease Trial, Not Yet Recruiting
voxsanity.com.au · Eligibility summary from public government registries · 18 August 2026 · not medical advice
Who may and may not be able to join
AI generated eligibility summary. Written by an AI model from the official source data and checked on a sample basis. It can contain mistakes, so confirm anything important against the original source. How we use AI
Who may be able to join
- People aged between 22 and 75 years at the time of enrolling in the trial.
- People who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) affecting both sides of the body, with at least 2 of these symptoms present: resting tremor (shaking when still), muscle stiffness, or slowness of movement.
- People who have had Parkinson's disease for 5 years or longer.
- People whose Parkinson's disease is rated at a moderate-to-severe level (Hoehn-Yahr stages 2.5 to 4.0) when not taking their medications.
- People who still have significant symptoms or troublesome side effects from their Parkinson's medications, even when those medications have been optimised.
- People who have tried carbidopa/levodopa and/or a dopamine agonist medication as part of their Parkinson's treatment.
- People whose Parkinson's symptoms improve by at least 33% when taking their medications, as measured by a standard clinical rating scale (UPDRS-III).
- People who score 30 or higher on the UPDRS-III movement rating scale when not taking their medications.
- People whose cognitive (thinking and memory) function is assessed as normal based on a standard test (MMSE), with results above the threshold for their level of education.
- People who score 24 or lower on a standard depression rating scale (HAMD).
- People whose antidepressant medications have not changed for at least 8 weeks before giving consent to join the trial.
- People who have been on a stable Parkinson's medication regimen for at least 28 days before giving consent to join the trial.
- People who are medically able to undergo the surgical procedure for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in two specific brain regions (STN and GPi).
- People who are willing and able to attend all required visits and follow all study procedures, such as using a remote control, a charging system, and completing a Parkinson's diary.
- People who are able to understand what the study involves and what the treatment requires, and who are able to provide written consent before any study-related tests begin.
Who may not be able to join
Each point below is a reason the trial team may not be able to accept someone. It is not a list of requirements to meet.
- People who have any brain abnormalities or medical conditions that would make deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery unsafe or unsuitable.
- People who have a significant psychiatric condition that could affect their ability to follow the study requirements, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, a mood disorder with psychotic features, or certain personality disorders.
- People who score higher than 24 on the standard depression rating scale (HAMD).
- People who currently misuse drugs or alcohol, as defined by standard diagnostic criteria (DSM-IV).
- People who have a history of repeated or unexplained seizures.
- People who have previously had a bleeding stroke.
- People who have previously had brain surgery or a device implanted to treat movement disorders.
- People who already have an active implanted device such as a cochlear implant, pacemaker, or drug delivery pump (whether switched on or off); passive implants such as joint replacements may be acceptable provided they do not interfere with the DBS system (confirm with trial site).
- People who have previously had a thalamotomy, pallidotomy, or any prior DBS procedure.
- People who have previously had a vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) device implanted.
- People who have had any previous brain surgery that could interfere with placing the DBS leads or the device working correctly.
- People who have a condition that requires or is likely to require MRI scans, diathermy, or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
- People who are likely to need monopolar cautery, radiofrequency procedures, external defibrillation, lithotripsy, radiation therapy, or transcranial stimulation.
- People who are currently taking blood-thinning medications that cannot be safely stopped around the time of surgery.
- People whose Parkinson's-like symptoms are caused by their current medications rather than by idiopathic Parkinson's disease.
- People who have a significant medical condition that is likely to interfere with the study procedures or make it difficult to assess the results.
- People who have a terminal illness with a life expectancy of less than one year.
- People who have an unresolved infection, a blood-clotting disorder, or a significant heart or other medical condition that increases the risk of surgery.
- People who currently have, or may in the future have, a weakened immune system that could significantly raise the risk of infection.
- People who are currently participating in, or have participated in, another clinical trial within the past 30 days (participation in other studies may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the investigator and sponsor).
- Women who are breastfeeding, who have a positive pregnancy test, or who are of childbearing potential and are not using adequate contraception.
- People whose pre-surgical planning shows that it would not be possible to implant the DBS leads in the required brain regions (STN and GPi), often due to individual differences in anatomy.
- People whose pre-surgical head CT scan shows calcium deposits in the GPi region of the brain.
Important: Always verify eligibility with the trial site directly before applying.
Based on publicly available eligibility criteria from ClinicalTrials.gov. Verify directly with the trial site before acting. This is not medical advice.
If this is close to home
This page includes language about advanced illness, prognosis, or palliative care, because that is how the trial's eligibility criteria are written. Seeing it set out plainly can land hard, whether it is about you or about someone you are caring for. You do not have to be at a crisis point to talk to someone.
- Griefline — grief and loss counselling, 9am to 6pm weekdays and midday to 6pm weekends (AEST/AEDT): 1300 845 745
- Carer Gateway — practical and emotional support if you are caring for someone, 8am to 5pm weekdays: 1800 422 737
- Canteen — for 12 to 25 year olds affected by cancer, their own or a family member's: 1800 945 215
- Palliative Care Australia — directory of palliative care services near you: palliativecare.org.au
- Lifeline — 24/7, for any kind of distress, at any hour the services above are closed: 13 11 14
Palliative care is not the same as giving up on treatment, and it is not only for the last weeks of life. It is symptom and comfort care that can run alongside active treatment, including a clinical trial.
Outside Australia? The numbers above are Australian and will not work from overseas. Find a Helpline is a free directory of support and crisis lines in over 130 countries, run by ThroughLine with the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
Voxsanity is not a counselling or medical service, and nothing on this page is medical advice. More Australian services are listed on our support lines page.
Contact this trial
Phone: +8618101287707
Contact details sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. Verify directly with the trial site before attending.
GP referral letter
Print a one-page summary to share with your doctor.
Trial details
Where this trial is recruiting
Primary endpoints
Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS III) score
Can't join this trial?
Data last synced from ClinicalTrials.gov: 16 July 2026. Trial status can change. Always verify current status directly with the trial site before making any decision.