Chronic Stimulation of the Motor Ventral Thalamus (VOP/VIM) for Motor Control in Humans

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on motor function in patients with movement disorders who already have DBS devices implanted. The study aims to understand both the immediate assistive effects when stimulation is turned on and potential longer-term therapeutic effects when stimulation is off. It focuses on measuring motor output, speech, and swallowing functions in these patients, with the goal of assessing how DBS impacts muscle recruitment and central nervous system activity. The study involves adjusting DBS parameters before motor testing and having participants complete various tasks across multiple sessions. These tasks assess movement speed, grip strength, strength modulation, facial movement, swallowing, and speech. The study includes both patients with DBS implanted in the motor thalamus and healthy control participants who perform language and upper-limb tasks without surgical intervention. Participants will be involved in extensive testing that includes contralateral upper extremity movement tasks and assessments of facial and oropharyngeal muscle function. Researchers will monitor a range of outcomes over two years, such as hand dexterity, grip strength, velocity, strength modulation, facial muscle function, swallowing, speech intelligibility, oral motor functions, and respiratory capacity. The study includes careful evaluation of motor control to better understand DBS effects on movement disorders.

Long-term Brain Stimulation of the Motor Ventral Thalamus (VOP/VIM) to Improve Motor Function