Understanding How Movements Are Transferred From Task to Task in Parkinson's Disease

NCT07351032 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 24-12-053
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 24
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to understand how a specific brain area, the Posterior Parietal Cortex (PPC), plays a role in movement transfer from walking on a split-belt treadmill (SBT) to walking on the ground in people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Here, investigators will apply repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to upregulate the PPC. Then, the differences in the gait parameters between pre- and post-interventions will be compared between the TMS-active and the TMS-sham.

Conditions

PARKINSON DISEASE (Disorder)

Keywords

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Split-belt Treadmill; Gait; Motor Adaptation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Stride length

  The forward distance travelled by a foot during a gait cycle (cm) measured during overground walking and on the SBT with the Ambulatory Parkinson's Disease Monitoring (APDM) mobility lab system. A higher score indicates better gait control.

  Day 2 and Day 3

• Dual Support

  The percentage of the gait cycle when both feet are in contact with the ground (%) will be measured during overground walking and on the SBT with the Ambulatory Parkinson's Disease Monitoring (APDM) mobility lab system. A higher score indicates a longer time for both feet to be in contact with the ground.

  Day 2 and Day 3

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Cadence

  Day 2 and Day 3

• Gait Speed

  Day 2 and Day 3

• Turning Velocity

  Day 2 and Day 3

• Steps in turn

  Day 2 and Day 3

• Step length

  Day 2 and Day 3

Study Arms (2)

Active rTMS First followed by Sham rTMS Second

OTHER

Session 1: active rTMS (iTBS) over the right PPC Session 2: sham rTMS (iTBS) over the right PPC

Other: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Active; Other: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Sham

Sham rTMS First followed by Active rTMS Second

OTHER

Session 1: sham rTMS (iTBS) over the right PPC Session 2: active rTMS (iTBS) over the right PPC

Other: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Active; Other: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Sham

Interventions

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Sham OTHER

SHAM: 2 coils on top of each other will be used instead of 1. The coil furthest to the head will be reversed. The coil on the head will not be stimulating but the reversed coil will (current directed away from the brain) with stimulate with the same parameters at the active stimulation (intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (a patterned form of rTMS). The participants will receive iTBS (50hz bursts at 5Hz for 600 pulses for a total duration of 3-minutes) over the right PPC at 80% RMT of the FDI.

Active rTMS First followed by Sham rTMS Second; Sham rTMS First followed by Active rTMS Second

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Active OTHER

ACTIVE: intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (a patterned form of rTMS). The participants will receive iTBS (50hz bursts at 5Hz for 600 pulses for a total duration of 3-minutes) over the right PPC at 80% RMT of the FDI.

Active rTMS First followed by Sham rTMS Second; Sham rTMS First followed by Active rTMS Second

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 50 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• a confirmed diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease
• absence of freezing of gait confirmed by a "No" answer to the second item of the New Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (NFOGQ) and no observation of FOG during a freezing provoking test
• no other neurological diagnosis
• no severe musculoskeletal/orthopedic or vestibular condition that interferes with walking and or significantly affects balance
• no mild cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment ≥ 25)
• able to walk independently and without assistive device for 30 minutes
• no previous experience with split-belt treadmill.

You may not qualify if:

• severe dyskinesia that interacts with walking and balance hearing or visual impairment
• observed inability to walk safely on a tied-belt treadmill
• neurological disorders other than PD or other pathology (e.g., orthopedic) interfering with mobility. - contradiction for TMS
• implanted deep brain stimulator.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• McGill University: lead

Study Sites (1)

McGill University - Currie Gymnasium

Montreal, Quebec, H2W 1S4, Canada

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Parkinsonian Disorders; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Movement Disorders; Synucleinopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases

Study Officials

• Caroline Paquette, PhD

  McGill University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Tomoha Ogawa, BA

CONTACT

514-398-2488; hbcl@mcgill.ca

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 26, 2025
• First Posted: January 20, 2026
• Study Start: November 18, 2025
• Primary Completion: May 1, 2026
• Study Completion: May 1, 2026
• Last Updated: January 20, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)