MST for Parkinson's Disease

(MST-PD Trial)

Overseen By Michelle Avina, BSc

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of British Columbia

Must be taking: Psychotropic medications

Must not be taking: Benzodiazepines, Anticonvulsants

Disqualifiers: Neurocognitive disorder, Active psychosis, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 16

Duration: 8 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST) as a new treatment for depression in people with Parkinson's Disease. The goal is to determine if MST can effectively manage depression symptoms in these patients. Suitable candidates have Parkinson's Disease, experience moderate to severe depression, and maintain stable medication doses. Participants will receive MST using the MagPro XP MST device. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research that could lead to new treatment options for depression in Parkinson's Disease.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not require you to stop your current medications. If you are on antidepressant medication, you should keep your treatment constant during the study.

What prior data suggests that Magnetic Seizure Therapy is safe for Parkinson's Disease patients?

Research shows that Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST) is generally safe for patients. Studies have found that most people tolerate MST well. It has been safely used in individuals with various types of Parkinson's disease. A review of research also suggests that MST provides a safe method for brain stimulation. While some mild side effects may occur, MST is considered a low-risk option compared to treatments involving surgery or major procedures. For those considering joining a trial for MST, existing research presents promising safety data. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST) is unique because it uses a targeted magnetic field to induce controlled seizures, potentially offering a safer alternative to Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) for Parkinson's disease. Unlike ECT, which uses electrical currents and can have significant side effects, MST aims to minimize cognitive side effects by focusing the magnetic pulses more precisely. Researchers are excited about this treatment because it could provide symptom relief with fewer risks and a quicker recovery time, making it a promising advancement for patients with Parkinson's disease.

What evidence suggests that Magnetic Seizure Therapy is effective for depression in Parkinson's Disease?

Research has shown that Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST), which participants in this trial will receive, could be a promising treatment for depression in people with Parkinson's Disease. MST uses magnetic pulses to safely stimulate the brain. Early studies suggest that MST can reduce depression symptoms with fewer side effects compared to treatments like Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). Specifically, a study comparing the two found that MST was effective and caused fewer memory problems than ECT. Overall, MST appears to be a safe and innovative option for managing depression in Parkinson's patients. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Fidel Vila-Rodriguez, MD, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of British Columbia

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for people over 50 with Parkinson's Disease who are experiencing depression. They must be able to consent, on stable medication, and fit the criteria for a major depressive episode. They can't join if they have unstable medical conditions, difficulty with English or sensory impairments affecting tests, certain cardiovascular risks, recent psychotropic meds changes, active psychosis, metal implants near the head or high benzodiazepine/anticonvulsant doses.

Inclusion Criteria

You are 50 years of age or older.

Outpatient or inpatient persons capable of providing informed consent

On stable doses of psychotropic medication

Exclusion Criteria

Unstable medical conditions that, in the opinion of the Principal Investigator, carries significant risk of exacerbation by either of the study interventions

Unable to communicate in English fluently enough to complete the neuropsychological tests

Have a non-correctable clinically significant sensory impairment (i.e., cannot hear or see well enough to complete the neuropsychological tests)

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST) twice a week for a maximum of 16 treatments

8 weeks

16 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

Long-term follow-up

Participants are monitored for long-term outcomes and side effects

18 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• MagPro XP MST

Trial Overview The trial is testing Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST) as a treatment for depression in Parkinson's patients. Participants will undergo MST sessions while keeping their current antidepressant treatment constant if applicable.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Magnetic Seizure Therapy Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

MST treatments will be administered using the MagPro XP MST with Cool TwinCoil.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of British Columbia

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,506

Recruited

2,528,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Deep repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (drTMS) is safe for patients with various Parkinson Syndromes and can effectively reduce their self-reported motor symptom severity and depression, based on a retrospective analysis of 21 patients.

The treatment showed more significant benefits in older patients with Parkinson's disease, although it did not demonstrate any improvement in cognitive performance.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Safety of Deep Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (drTMS) against Medical Refractory Symptoms in Parkinson Syndromes: First German Real-World Data with a Specific H5 Coil. Cont, C., Lehto, A., Stute, N., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. clinicaltrial.be clinicaltrial.be/en/details/46758?per_page=20&recruiting=1&enrolling_by_invitation=1&active_not_recruiting=1&not_yet_recruiting=0&completed=0&only_recruiting=0&only_eligible=0

MST for Parkinson's Disease This is a phase II, single-arm open-label feasibility trial testing the feasibility of MST for dPD. The trial will occur over 18 months at ...

2. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-movement-disorders-8-2021-dcc1b

MST for Parkinson's Disease · Info for Participants This trial tests Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST) for treating depression in patients with Parkinson's Disease. MST uses magnetic pulses to induce controlled ...

3. centerwatch.com centerwatch.com/clinical-trials/listings/NCT04784494/mst-for-parkinsons-disease

MST for Parkinson's Disease | Clinical Research Trial Listing This trial aims to test the feasibility of Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST) for Depression in patients diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12408294/

Safety of MST in clinical application: a systematic review of ... Magnetic seizure therapy (MST) is an innovative neurostimulation technique. While MST shares similarities with other neuromodulation ...

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8576983/

Confirmatory Efficacy and Safety Trial of Magnetic Seizure ... This trial will compare the efficacy of MST to right unilateral ultra-brief pulse width electroconvulsive therapy (RUL-UB-ECT) with a combined primary endpoint ...