Plain-English translation of NCT05286736 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated · Translation generated · How we translate trials
Researchers want to understand how the brain adapts and changes in people with early-stage Parkinson's disease — specifically before they start taking Parkinson's medications. This study uses advanced brain imaging (special MRI scans) and a safe, non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to measure changes in brain structure and function over time. By comparing people with early Parkinson's to healthy people of the same age and sex, the study aims to learn more about how the brain compensates in the early stages of the disease.
Currently, doctors don't fully understand what happens in the brain during the earliest stages of Parkinson's disease, before medications are started. Learning how the brain naturally adapts during this critical window could help researchers develop better treatments and predict how the disease will progress in individual patients.
If you enroll, you'll visit the research center multiple times over about 2.5 to 3 years. During visits, you'll undergo advanced MRI brain scans and participate in brain stimulation sessions using TMS, which involves magnetic pulses delivered to your scalp (painless but you may feel a tapping sensation). Researchers will also test your movement — such as walking, balance, and hand coordination — and ask you questions about thinking and memory. The study compares how your brain and movement change over time compared to healthy volunteers without Parkinson's disease.
AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 28, 2026 · Not medical advice
United States
Sponsor
University of Minnesota
Enrollment target
~50 participants
Started
March 2021
Primary completion
August 2026
Age range
21 Years – 75 Years
Last updated on clinicaltrials.gov in July 2026.