Study on Preliminary Safety and Efficacy of the ARC-IM Therapy to Alleviate Locomotor Deficits in People With Parkinson's Disease

NCT ID: NCT06295614

Last Updated: 2025-07-11

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

6 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-02-14

Study Completion Date

2029-04-01

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this clinical trial is to assess the preliminary safety and efficacy of the ARC-IM spinal cord stimulation therapy in alleviating locomotor deficits in individuals with Parkinson's disease. The ARC-IM Therapy employs epidural electrical stimulation (EES) to modulate leg muscle recruitment, with the aim of improving mobility deficits. The ultimate goal is to enhance the quality of life of people with Parkinson's disease.

Detailed Description

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The progression of Parkinson's Disease (PD) is often marked by the development of severe locomotor deficits, including gait impairments, which significantly affect patients' independence and are not effectively addressed by current treatments. The STIMO-PARKINSON (NCT04956770) clinical trial has shown promising results with epidural electrical stimulation (EES) in significantly reducing these locomotor deficits in Parkinson's Disease patients.

Building on these findings, the SPARKL clinical study aims to further this research. The SPARKL study aims to enroll six individuals with advanced Parkinson's Disease to assess the safety and efficacy of the novel ARC-IM Therapy. This new therapy has been designed to overcome previous technological limitations and facilitate its home-use.

This study will take place at the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV, Switzerland). The total duration of the study is 4 years per participant. The study intervention consists of several phases preceded by pre-screening. The first year involves an intensive participation, consisting of the following phases: enrolment and baseline, surgical implantation of the stimulation device, a main study phase that includes stimulation configuration sessions and both in-clinic and at-home rehabilitation, and finally the home-use phase. This will be succeeded by 3 years of safety follow-up, during which the participant can use the stimulation device in their daily life, subject to investigator approval.

Throughout the study, the investigators will conduct assessments at various stages of each participant's journey in the study. These assessments will be used to assess the preliminary safety and efficacy of the ARC-IM therapy at alleviating locomotor deficits.

Conditions

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Parkinson Disease

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Single-site, single-arm, non-blinded, non-randomized, interventional
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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All participants

All participants enrolled in the study will receive the same intervention.

The first year of the study consists of the following phases: enrolment, baseline assessments, surgical implantation of the ARC-IM stimulation device, configuration sessions for stimulation, in-clinic and at-home rehabilitation, and a home-use phase. It is followed by 3 years of safety follow-up.

Assessments will be planned throughout the course of the study and at baseline, the end of the optimization phase, the end of the rehabilitation phase, and after 12 months post-surgery.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

ARC-IM System implantation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Implantation of a stimulation lead on the lumbar level of the spinal cord and implantation of a neurostimulator in the abdominal region.

Interventions

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ARC-IM System implantation

Implantation of a stimulation lead on the lumbar level of the spinal cord and implantation of a neurostimulator in the abdominal region.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Typical form of Parkinson's Disease with II-IV Hoehn-Yahr stage with standard therapy,
* Suffering from debilitating locomotor deficits, including gait impairments of either postural instability and/or freezing of gait, despite optimal medical management,
* 18 years of age or older,
* Able to understand and interact with the study team in French or English,
* Must use safe contraception for women of childbearing capacity,
* Must agree to comply in good faith with all conditions of the study and to attend all required study trainings and visits.
* Must provide and sign the study's Informed Consent prior to any study-related procedures.

Exclusion Criteria

* Atypical forms of Parkinson's Disease (such as Multiple System Atrophy or Progressive Supranuclear Palsy),
* Secondary causes of gait problems independent of Parkinson's Disease,
* Inability to follow study procedures,
* Unstable or significant medical condition that is likely to interfere with study procedures or likely to confound study endpoint evaluations as determined by the Investigator,
* History of major psychiatric disorders or major neurocognitive disorder as considered by the Investigators in accordance with treating physician and treating neurologist,
* Major change in PD treatment planned until the end of the main study phase (such as Deep Brain Stimulation or dopamine-pump implantation),
* Diseases and conditions that would increase the morbidity and mortality of the implantation surgery,
* Spinal anatomical abnormalities precluding surgery,
* History of drug or alcohol abuse in the past 5 years,
* Life expectancy of less than 12 months,
* Pregnant or breast feeding,
* Intention to get pregnant during the course of the study,
* Indication requiring frequent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI),
* Experimental treatment taken in the past 5 years,
* Participation in another interventional study,
* Enrolment of the investigator, his/her family members, employees, and other dependent persons.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Jocelyne Bloch

Prof.

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Jocelyne Bloch, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois (CHUV)

Locations

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Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV)

Lausanne, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Switzerland

Central Contacts

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Jocelyne Bloch, MD

Role: CONTACT

+41 79 556 29 51

Eduardo Martin Moraud, Prof

Role: CONTACT

+41 21 31 42 455

Facility Contacts

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Jocelyne Dr Bloch, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

References

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Yakovenko S, Mushahwar V, VanderHorst V, Holstege G, Prochazka A. Spatiotemporal activation of lumbosacral motoneurons in the locomotor step cycle. J Neurophysiol. 2002 Mar;87(3):1542-53. doi: 10.1152/jn.00479.2001.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Bloem BR, Hausdorff JM, Visser JE, Giladi N. Falls and freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease: a review of two interconnected, episodic phenomena. Mov Disord. 2004 Aug;19(8):871-84. doi: 10.1002/mds.20115.

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Schaafsma JD, Giladi N, Balash Y, Bartels AL, Gurevich T, Hausdorff JM. Gait dynamics in Parkinson's disease: relationship to Parkinsonian features, falls and response to levodopa. J Neurol Sci. 2003 Aug 15;212(1-2):47-53. doi: 10.1016/s0022-510x(03)00104-7.

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Wagner FB, Mignardot JB, Le Goff-Mignardot CG, Demesmaeker R, Komi S, Capogrosso M, Rowald A, Seanez I, Caban M, Pirondini E, Vat M, McCracken LA, Heimgartner R, Fodor I, Watrin A, Seguin P, Paoles E, Van Den Keybus K, Eberle G, Schurch B, Pralong E, Becce F, Prior J, Buse N, Buschman R, Neufeld E, Kuster N, Carda S, von Zitzewitz J, Delattre V, Denison T, Lambert H, Minassian K, Bloch J, Courtine G. Targeted neurotechnology restores walking in humans with spinal cord injury. Nature. 2018 Nov;563(7729):65-71. doi: 10.1038/s41586-018-0649-2. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24305828 (View on PubMed)

Moraud EM, Capogrosso M, Formento E, Wenger N, DiGiovanna J, Courtine G, Micera S. Mechanisms Underlying the Neuromodulation of Spinal Circuits for Correcting Gait and Balance Deficits after Spinal Cord Injury. Neuron. 2016 Feb 17;89(4):814-28. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.01.009. Epub 2016 Feb 4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26853304 (View on PubMed)

Capogrosso M, Wagner FB, Gandar J, Moraud EM, Wenger N, Milekovic T, Shkorbatova P, Pavlova N, Musienko P, Bezard E, Bloch J, Courtine G. Configuration of electrical spinal cord stimulation through real-time processing of gait kinematics. Nat Protoc. 2018 Sep;13(9):2031-2061. doi: 10.1038/s41596-018-0030-9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30190556 (View on PubMed)

van den Brand R, Heutschi J, Barraud Q, DiGiovanna J, Bartholdi K, Huerlimann M, Friedli L, Vollenweider I, Moraud EM, Duis S, Dominici N, Micera S, Musienko P, Courtine G. Restoring voluntary control of locomotion after paralyzing spinal cord injury. Science. 2012 Jun 1;336(6085):1182-5. doi: 10.1126/science.1217416.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Hofstoetter US, Perret I, Bayart A, Lackner P, Binder H, Freundl B, Minassian K. Spinal motor mapping by epidural stimulation of lumbosacral posterior roots in humans. iScience. 2020 Dec 11;24(1):101930. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101930. eCollection 2021 Jan 22.

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Nishioka K, Nakajima M. Beneficial Therapeutic Effects of Spinal Cord Stimulation in Advanced Cases of Parkinson's Disease With Intractable Chronic Pain: A Case Series. Neuromodulation. 2015 Dec;18(8):751-3. doi: 10.1111/ner.12315. Epub 2015 Jun 5.

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Maetzler W, Nieuwhof F, Hasmann SE, Bloem BR. Emerging therapies for gait disability and balance impairment: promises and pitfalls. Mov Disord. 2013 Sep 15;28(11):1576-86. doi: 10.1002/mds.25682.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24132846 (View on PubMed)

Milekovic T, Moraud EM, Macellari N, Moerman C, Raschella F, Sun S, Perich MG, Varescon C, Demesmaeker R, Bruel A, Bole-Feysot LN, Schiavone G, Pirondini E, YunLong C, Hao L, Galvez A, Hernandez-Charpak SD, Dumont G, Ravier J, Le Goff-Mignardot CG, Mignardot JB, Carparelli G, Harte C, Hankov N, Aureli V, Watrin A, Lambert H, Borton D, Laurens J, Vollenweider I, Borgognon S, Bourre F, Goillandeau M, Ko WKD, Petit L, Li Q, Buschman R, Buse N, Yaroshinsky M, Ledoux JB, Becce F, Jimenez MC, Bally JF, Denison T, Guehl D, Ijspeert A, Capogrosso M, Squair JW, Asboth L, Starr PA, Wang DD, Lacour SP, Micera S, Qin C, Bloch J, Bezard E, Courtine G. A spinal cord neuroprosthesis for locomotor deficits due to Parkinson's disease. Nat Med. 2023 Nov;29(11):2854-2865. doi: 10.1038/s41591-023-02584-1. Epub 2023 Nov 6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 37932548 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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SPARKL

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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