RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT06899022

Attention and Eye Movement in Parkinson's Disease

Investigating the Role of Attention in Perceptual and Cognitive Consequences of Parkinson's Disease


Sponsor

University of Nebraska

Enrollment

138 participants

Start Date

Sep 22, 2025

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Summary

The goal of this observational and interventional study is to understand how therapeutic deep brain stimulation (DBS) affects attention, perception and cognition in participants with Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does impaired control of attention and eye movement in PD alter how social cues are perceived and interpreted? * Does therapeutic DBS improve or worsen attentional and perceptual deficits for social cues in PD and ET? * Can DBS be optimized to restore normal attentional control in PD while remaining an effective therapy for other aspects of the disorder. * What do parts of the brain targeted by DBS contribute to the control of attention? Using an eye tracking camera, investigators will study how participants with PD and ET look at and perceive facial expressions of emotion before and after starting DBS therapy, in comparison to a group of healthy participants without ET, PD or DBS. Participants with PD and ET will see and rate morphed facial expressions on a computer screen in three conditions: * Before starting DBS therapy (over approximately 1 hour). * In the operating room, during the standard procedure to implant DBS electrodes, while the participant is awake (for no more than 15 minutes). * After starting DBS therapy, with brief experimental changes of DBS stimulation level and frequency (over approximately 1 hour).


Eligibility

Min Age: 19 YearsMax Age: 90 Years

Inclusion Criteria21

  • All Participants (Aim 1):
  • Ability and willingness to provide signed informed consent for this study
  • Ability to express perceptual judgments through a button press or mouse- controlled computerized slider
  • Age 19 - 90 years
  • DBS Participants (Aim 1):
  • Diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) or essential tremor (ET)
  • Scheduled for new implantation of a therapeutic DBS device targeted to subthalamic nucleus (STN), ventral intermediate nucleus of thalamus (VIM) or internal globus pallidus (GPi)
  • Comparison Participants (Aim 1):
  • o Selection by age matching to participants in PD group
  • Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) Participants (Aim 2):
  • Ability and willingness to provide signed informed consent for this study
  • Ability to express perceptual judgments through a button press or mouse- controlled computerized slider
  • Age 19 - 90 years
  • Scheduled for awake DBS implantation with clinical micro-electrode recordings (MER)
  • Willing and able to engage in tasks during an awake surgical procedure
  • Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) Participants (Aim 3):
  • Ability and willingness to provide signed informed consent for this study
  • Ability to express perceptual judgments through a button press or mouse- controlled computerized slider
  • Age 19 - 90 years
  • Willing to undergo acute manipulations of DBS
  • Able to tolerate acute changes of DBS

Exclusion Criteria16

  • All Participants (Aim 1):
  • Corrected visual acuity insufficient to perceptually judge face stimuli
  • Inability to understand task instructions or complete task requirements
  • DBS Participants (Aim 1):
  • o Insufficient therapeutic control of motor symptoms to engage in tasks requiring button press or use of a mouse to control a slider
  • Healthy Comparison Participants (Aim 1):
  • o History of neurodegenerative disorder
  • Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) Participants (Aim 2):
  • Corrected visual acuity insufficient to perceptually judge face stimuli
  • Inability to understand task instructions or complete task requirements
  • Not undergoing awake DBS implantation
  • Uncorrected visual acuity insufficient to perceptually judge face stimuli
  • Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) Participants (Aim 3):
  • Corrected visual acuity insufficient to perceptually judge face stimuli
  • Inability to understand task instructions or complete task requirements
  • Failure of DBS to achieve a therapeutic effect on motor symptoms

Interventions

OTHERNormal therapeutic DBS

Participants will receive deep brain stimulation delivered at the clinically determined therapeutic frequency and current over approximately 20 min.

OTHERReduced current DBS

Participants will receive deep brain stimulation delivered at the clinically determined therapeutic frequency and reduced (50%) current over approximately 20 minutes.

OTHERReduced frequency DBS

Participants will receive deep brain stimulation delivered at the clinically determined therapeutic current and reduced (4 Hz) frequency over approximately 20 min.


Locations(1)

University of Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha, Nebraska, United States

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NCT06899022


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