Dyskinetic Cerebral PalsyNCT06122675
Cerebellar Deep Brain Stimulation for Movement Disorders in Cerebral Palsy in Children and Young Adults
A study testing DBS in people with Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy and Dystonic Cerebral Palsy, run by University of California, San Francisco at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to test the safety of placing Deep Brain Stimulators (DBS) in a part of the brain called the cerebellum and using electrical stimulation of that part of the brain to treat movement symptoms related to cerebral palsy. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 7 to 25 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy, Dystonic Cerebral Palsy
- What is being tested?
- DBS
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 10 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 26 Mar 2024to 31 Mar 2029
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 7 to 25 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Diagnosis of DCP (dystonic and/or choreoathetotic cerebral palsy) with or without comorbid spasticity, with a clear history of hypoxic ischemic brain injury preceding motor symptoms made by a pediatric neurologist, with supporting MRI findings.
- Age 7-25 at the time of surgery.
- Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Levels II-V.
- History of appropriate therapy with oral medications with inadequate relief as determined by a movement disorders or pediatric neurologist. Prior history of selective dorsal rhizotomy is allowed.
- Patient and family have requested surgical intervention with DBS for their movement disorder.
- No gross cerebellar abnormalities observed and reported on structural MRI.
- Written informed consent and written/verbal assent for those younger than 18 years of age.
- Ability to comply with study follow-up visits for brain recordings, neuroimaging and testing of sham and effective stimulation and clinical assessments.
Who cannot join
- Coagulopathy, uncontrolled epilepsy, severe cardiopulmonary or gastrointestinal conditions, or other medical conditions considered to place the patient at elevated risk for surgical complications.
- Pregnancy: all women of child-bearing potential will be required to have a negative urine pregnancy test prior to undergoing their surgical procedure.
- Exclusion of genetic mimics of cerebral palsy: exclusion of conditions that manifest with a clinical syndrome similar to CP, in the absence of documented risk factors or neuroimaging findings consistent with a history of brain injury or congenital cerebral malformation. Work up may include comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) microarray and multi-gene panel and/or whole genome or whole exome sequencing.)
- Severe fixed contractions and skeletal deformities that would preclude determination of improvement.
- Traumatic brain injury (i.e., non-accidental trauma) or history of infectious or autoimmune encephalitis.
- Requirement of diathermy, electroconvulsive therapy or transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California, 94158
Marta San Luciano Palenzuela, MD, Marta.SanLucianoPalenzuela@ucsf.edu
About this study
Official title: Cerebellar Deep Brain Stimulation for Severe Combined Movement Disorders and Spasticity in Children and Young Adults With Cerebral Palsy
The purpose of this study is to test the safety of placing Deep Brain Stimulators (DBS) in a part of the brain called the cerebellum and using electrical stimulation of that part of the brain to treat movement symptoms related to cerebral palsy. Ten children and young adults with dyskinetic cerebral palsy will be implanted with a Medtronic Percept Primary Cell Neurostimulator. We will pilot videotaped automated movement recognition techniques and formal gait analysis, as well as collect and characterize each subject's physiological and neuroimaging markers that may predict hyperkinetic pathological states and their response to therapeutic DBS.
- Conditions
- Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy, Dystonic Cerebral Palsy
- Being tested
- DBS
- Medical subject headings
- Cerebral Palsy
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
DBSDevice
Also called Medtronic Percept
Implanted in the cerebellum.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Effective stimulation | Active comparator | All participants will receive deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the cerebellum. For the first 20 weeks, every participant undergoes an open label phase to titrate stimulation and determine optimal stimulation settings. Following that phase, each participant starts three cycles of randomized, paired 8-week exposure periods, each pair including effective stimulation followed by sham stimulation, or vice versa. Effective stimulation will be the optimal stimulation settings determined during the open label phase. Receives: Device: DBS |
| Sham stimulation | Sham comparator | Sham stimulation will be settings at low amplitude (0.1mA) known to be ineffective. Receives: Device: DBS |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Average total (global index) Movement Disorder-Childhood Rating Scale 4-18 Revised (MD-CRS 4-18-R) scores
This is the primary motor outcome measure. It is the Movement Disorder-Childhood Rating Scale 4-18 Revised (MD-CRS 4-18 R). The MD-CRS 4-18 R is a validated tool aimed to evaluate movement disorders in developmental age. It is particularly useful for rating the severity of movement disorders in dyskinetic cerebral palsy. It scored based on two parts. Part I: General Assessment has a minimum total score of 0 (no impairment) and a maximum total score of 60 (maximal impairment). Part II: MD Assessment has a minimum total score of 0 (movement disorder is absent) and a maximum total score of 28 (maximal movement disorder presence).
Measured: Evaluated weekly during randomized blinded phase (total of 3 months in each condition, sham stimulation and effective stimulation).
Average total standardized Caregiver Priorities & Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities (CPCHILD) scores
This is the primary Quality of Life (QOL) outcome measure. It is the Caregiver Priorities \& Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities (CPCHILD) scale. The CPCHILD is a reliable and valid measure of caregivers' perspectives on health status, functional limitations, and well-being of patients with severe CP, including those individuals who are non-verbal and non-ambulatory. Because many children suffering with CP are severely affected in many areas of their lives including activities of daily living, communication, mobility and overall health, there is an imperative to evaluate new interventions, especially invasive and resource-intensive ones such as DBS, using outcomes that are more meaningful to patients and their caregivers. Scores for each domain and for the total survey are standardized and range from 0 (worst) to 100 (best).
Measured: Evaluated weekly during randomized blinded phase (total of 3 months in each condition, sham stimulation and effective stimulation).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Nov 2023
- Study start26 Mar 2024
- Primary completion1 Jan 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Mar 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Dyskinetic Cerebral PalsyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, San FranciscoThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- The differences in primary outcome scores are calculated while on intervention (effective stimulation) versus placebo (sham stimulation), using an N-of-1 trial design. Each N-of-1 trial consists of a baseline assessment prior to DBS surgery (4 weeks), DBS surgery and open label phase to determine optimal stimulation settings (20 weeks), followed by a randomized three-cycle sequence of paired 8-week exposure periods, with each pair including intervention then placebo or vice versa (24 weeks). The DBS intervention exposure will be at the personalized optimal stimulation settings determined during the open-label phase.
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 10 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San Francisco
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Marta San Luciano Palenzuela, MD, University of California, San Francisco
- Investigators
- Marta San Luciano Palenzuela, MD, MS, Principal investigator, University of California, San Francisco
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06122675
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 22-37182
- Other IDs
- UH3NS128297-01A1
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 2 Nov 2023
- Last updated
- 5 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
San Luciano M, Oehrn CR, Wang SS, Tolmie JS, Wiltshire A, Graff RE, Zhu J, Starr PA. Protocol for combined N-of-1 trials to assess cerebellar neurostimulation for movement disorders in children and young adults with dyskinetic cerebral palsy. BMC Neurol. 2024 Apr 29;24(1):145. doi: 10.1186/s12883-024-03633-z.
PubMed 38684956San Luciano M, Oehrn CR, Wang SS, Tolmie JS, Wiltshire A, Graff RE, Zhu J, Starr PA. Protocol for combined N-of-1 trials to assess cerebellar neurostimulation for movement disorders in children and young adults with dyskinetic cerebral palsy. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2024 Apr 1:rs.3.rs-4077387. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4077387/v1.
PubMed 38645256
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Cerebellar Deep Brain Stimulation for Severe Combined Movement Disorders and Spasticity in Children and Young Adults With Cerebral Palsy
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06122675
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 22-37182
- Conditions
- Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy, Dystonic Cerebral Palsy
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 10 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San FranciscoUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- Study start
- 26 Mar 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jan 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Mar 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 8 Nov 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to test the safety of placing Deep Brain Stimulators (DBS) in a part of the brain called the cerebellum and using electrical stimulation of that part of the brain to treat movement symptoms related to cerebral palsy. Ten children and young adults with dyskinetic cerebral palsy will be implanted with a Medtronic Percept Primary Cell Neurostimulator. We will pilot videotaped automated movement recognition techniques and formal gait analysis, as well as collect and characterize each subject's physiological and neuroimaging markers that may predict hyperkinetic pathological states and their response to therapeutic DBS.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, care provider, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- The differences in primary outcome scores are calculated while on intervention (effective stimulation) versus placebo (sham stimulation), using an N-of-1 trial design. Each N-of-1 trial consists of a baseline assessment prior to DBS surgery (4 weeks), DBS surgery and open label phase to determine optimal stimulation settings (20 weeks), followed by a randomized three-cycle sequence of paired 8-week exposure periods, with each pair including intervention then placebo or vice versa (24 weeks). The DBS intervention exposure will be at the personalized optimal stimulation settings determined during the open-label phase.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Effective stimulation | Active comparator | Device: DBSAll participants will receive deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the cerebellum. For the first 20 weeks, every participant undergoes an open label phase to titrate stimulation and determine optimal stimulation settings. Following that phase, each participant starts three cycles of randomized, paired 8-week exposure periods, each pair including effective stimulation followed by sham stimulation, or vice versa. Effective stimulation will be the optimal stimulation settings determined during the open label phase. |
| Sham stimulation | Sham comparator | Device: DBSSham stimulation will be settings at low amplitude (0.1mA) known to be ineffective. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 7 to 25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Diagnosis of DCP (dystonic and/or choreoathetotic cerebral palsy) with or without comorbid spasticity, with a clear history of hypoxic ischemic brain injury preceding motor symptoms made by a pediatric neurologist, with supporting MRI findings.
- Age 7-25 at the time of surgery.
- Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Levels II-V.
- History of appropriate therapy with oral medications with inadequate relief as determined by a movement disorders or pediatric neurologist. Prior history of selective dorsal rhizotomy is allowed.
- Patient and family have requested surgical intervention with DBS for their movement disorder.
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Coagulopathy, uncontrolled epilepsy, severe cardiopulmonary or gastrointestinal conditions, or other medical conditions considered to place the patient at elevated risk for surgical complications.
- Pregnancy: all women of child-bearing potential will be required to have a negative urine pregnancy test prior to undergoing their surgical procedure.
- Exclusion of genetic mimics of cerebral palsy: exclusion of conditions that manifest with a clinical syndrome similar to CP, in the absence of documented risk factors or neuroimaging findings consistent with a history of brain injury or congenital cerebral malformation. Work up may include comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) microarray and multi-gene panel and/or whole genome or whole exome sequencing.)
- Severe fixed contractions and skeletal deformities that would preclude determination of improvement.
- Traumatic brain injury (i.e., non-accidental trauma) or history of infectious or autoimmune encephalitis.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| DBSAlso: Medtronic PerceptImplanted in the cerebellum. | Device | Effective stimulation, Sham stimulation |
Primary outcome
Average total (global index) Movement Disorder-Childhood Rating Scale 4-18 Revised (MD-CRS 4-18-R) scores
Time frame: Evaluated weekly during randomized blinded phase (total of 3 months in each condition, sham stimulation and effective stimulation).
This is the primary motor outcome measure. It is the Movement Disorder-Childhood Rating Scale 4-18 Revised (MD-CRS 4-18 R). The MD-CRS 4-18 R is a validated tool aimed to evaluate movement disorders in developmental age. It is particularly useful for rating the severity of movement disorders in dyskinetic cerebral palsy. It scored based on two parts. Part I: General Assessment has a minimum total score of 0 (no impairment) and a maximum total score of 60 (maximal impairment). Part II: MD Assessment has a minimum total score of 0 (movement disorder is absent) and a maximum total score of 28 (maximal movement disorder presence).
Average total standardized Caregiver Priorities & Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities (CPCHILD) scores
Time frame: Evaluated weekly during randomized blinded phase (total of 3 months in each condition, sham stimulation and effective stimulation).
This is the primary Quality of Life (QOL) outcome measure. It is the Caregiver Priorities \& Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities (CPCHILD) scale. The CPCHILD is a reliable and valid measure of caregivers' perspectives on health status, functional limitations, and well-being of patients with severe CP, including those individuals who are non-verbal and non-ambulatory. Because many children suffering with CP are severely affected in many areas of their lives including activities of daily living, communication, mobility and overall health, there is an imperative to evaluate new interventions, especially invasive and resource-intensive ones such as DBS, using outcomes that are more meaningful to patients and their caregivers. Scores for each domain and for the total survey are standardized and range from 0 (worst) to 100 (best).
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Jun 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 38684956San Luciano M, Oehrn CR, Wang SS, Tolmie JS, Wiltshire A, Graff RE, Zhu J, Starr PA. Protocol for combined N-of-1 trials to assess cerebellar neurostimulation for movement disorders in children and young adults with dyskinetic cerebral palsy. BMC Neurol. 2024 Apr 29;24(1):145. doi: 10.1186/s12883-024-03633-z.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 38645256San Luciano M, Oehrn CR, Wang SS, Tolmie JS, Wiltshire A, Graff RE, Zhu J, Starr PA. Protocol for combined N-of-1 trials to assess cerebellar neurostimulation for movement disorders in children and young adults with dyskinetic cerebral palsy. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2024 Apr 1:rs.3.rs-4077387. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4077387/v1.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Marta San Luciano Palenzuela, MD, MS principal investigator
University of California, San Francisco
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing DBS in people with Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy and Dystonic Cerebral Palsy, run by University of California, San Francisco at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Marta San Luciano Palenzuela, MD, MS (4153532311, Marta.SanLucianoPalenzuela@ucsf.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Average total (global index) Movement Disorder-Childhood Rating Scale 4-18 Revised (MD-CRS 4-18-R) scores (time frame: Evaluated weekly during randomized blinded phase (total of 3 months in each condition, sham stimulation and effective stimulation).). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06122675, which also lists 2 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Jun 2026.