rTMS to Improve Cognition in Parkinson's

rTMS as a Cognitive Rehabilitation Approach in Veterans With Parkinson's Disease

rTMS to Improve Cognition in Parkinson's (NCT03836950) is a Phase 1 / Phase 2 interventional studying Parkinson's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment, sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

About This Trial

The purpose of this study is to examine safety, feasibility, and the behavioral and brain effects of a non-invasive treatment, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), for Veterans with Parkinson's disease or atypical parkinsonism and mild impairments in their thinking. The hypothesis is that rTMS can improve thinking for people with Parkinson's disease or atypical parkinsonism who are experiencing mild problems with their thinking ability.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 1 trials test a new treatment for the first time in humans, focusing on safety, dosing, and how the body processes the drug. For Parkinson's Disease, a Phase 1 study typically enrolls a small number of participants — often healthy volunteers or patients who have exhausted standard treatment options. Phase 1 results determine whether a treatment moves into larger Phase 2 efficacy studies.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 56 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Parkinson's Disease subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Veterans who seek services at Hines VA Hospital or Jesse Brown VA Medical Center - Diagnosis of PD or atypical parkinsonism as determined by a neurologist - Meet criteria for having mild cognitive impairment - Receiving stable (i.e., no changes in medication and medication dose) medication and who are expected to remain on stable medication for the duration of the RCT - Speak and read English - 50 years or older Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - Dementia - Failure to demonstrate decision making capacity - History of deep brain stimulation surgery - Severe depression - Resting head tremor - Dyskinesia that will interfere with collecting imaging data - Has congestive heart failure - Implanted cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator - Cochlear implant, nerve stimulator, or intracranial metal clips - Implanted medical pump - Increased intracranial pressure - History of claustrophobia - Metal in eyes/face, shrapnel/bullet remnants in brain - Participants at potential increased risk of seizure including those who have the following: - history (or family history) of seizure or epilepsy - history of stroke, head injury, or unexplained seizures - presence of other neurological disease that may be associated with an altered seizure threshold - such as CVA, cerebral aneurysm, dementia, increased intracranial pressure - Concurrent medication use such as tricyclic antidepressants, neuroleptic medications, any other drug known to lower seizure threshold - Secondary conditions that may significantly alter electrolyte balance or lower seizure threshold - No quantifiable motor threshold such that rTMS dosage cannot be accurately deter-mined Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language

Inclusion Criteria: * Veterans who seek services at Hines VA Hospital or Jesse Brown VA Medical Center * Diagnosis of PD or atypical parkinsonism as determined by a neurologist * Meet criteria for having mild cognitive impairment * Receiving stable (i.e., no changes in medication and medication dose) medication and who are expected to remain on stable medication for the duration of the RCT * Speak and read English * 50 years or older Exclusion Criteria: * Dementia * Failure to demonstrate decision making capacity * History of deep brain stimulation surgery * Severe depression * Resting head tremor * Dyskinesia that will interfere with collecting imaging data * Has congestive heart failure * Implanted cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator * Cochlear implant, nerve stimulator, or intracranial metal clips * Implanted medical pump * Increased intracranial pressure * History of claustrophobia * Metal in eyes/face, shrapnel/bullet remnants in brain * Participants at potential increased risk of seizure including those who have the following: * history (or family history) of seizure or epilepsy * history of stroke, head injury, or unexplained seizures * presence of other neurological disease that may be associated with an altered seizure threshold * such as CVA, cerebral aneurysm, dementia, increased intracranial pressure * Concurrent medication use such as tricyclic antidepressants, neuroleptic medications, any other drug known to lower seizure threshold * Secondary conditions that may significantly alter electrolyte balance or lower seizure threshold * No quantifiable motor threshold such that rTMS dosage cannot be accurately deter-mined

Treatments Being Tested

DEVICE

MagVenture MagProX100 stimulator (MagVenture, Falun, Denmark)

The coil will be held tangentially to the skull at approximately 45º from the midline. One rTMS session will consist of 40 trains of 5sec each at 110% of resting motor threshold and 15Hz will be provided at the left DLPFC.

DEVICE

MagVenture MagProX100 stimulator (MagVenture, Falun, Denmark)

The coil will be held tangentially to the skull at approximately 45º from the midline. The sham coil will not release any stimulation, but it will look, feel and sound like the real rTMS

Locations (2)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL

Hines, Illinois, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT03836950), the sponsor (VA Office of Research and Development), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT03836950 clinical trial studying?

Who can participate in NCT03836950?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT03836950?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT03836950. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT03836950. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.