Recruiting · registry status

Dopamine and the motivation to move

This study investigates how the brain's dopamine system relates to effort and movement early in Parkinson's.

Testing a treatment or activity · Study reference: DRKS00038038

Plain-language introduction written with AI from the registry; not independently checked by a clinician. Read the original details below ↓

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Looking for volunteers

Start (reported date): 2025-12-16

Planned dates can move. A study finishing does not tell us when a paper will be published.

No results summary has been confirmed in the registry records we imported. See connected papers below; we keep checking after recruitment ends.

Changes we have recorded

2026-10-11 — recruiting

These are dates we observed a change, not necessarily the dates it happened.

Papers connected to this study

No connected paper has been found yet. The tracker checks the growing library for study identifiers and registry-linked publications.

Who can join?

Ages 50 years to 80 years · Ask the team who can join

These are starting points, not the full rules. The research team can tell you whether the study is right for your situation.

Read all the rules for taking part

Sex eligibility reported by registry: all

Inclusion criteria: Clinical group:?Ability to give written consent to participate?Diagnosis according to the MDS clinical diagnostic criteria by Postuma et al. (2015) ?Clinical symptoms < 3 years?Right-handed?DaT-SPECT within 3 months prior to inclusion into the studyControl group:?Ability to give written consent to participate?Right-handed Exclusion criteria: ?Indication of cognitive deficits (MoCA 5)?Significant comorbidities?Contraindications for MRI?No consent ?Chronic neurological disorders other than PD?Hoehn and Yahr scale of >= 3?Pregnancy or breast feeding?Wounds at the ear?Known anatomical anomalies of the vagus nerve?Have no insulin resistance or other metabolic disturbances

Full study name & original research details

Official study title

Striatal Dopamine and Motor Control: Trait- and State-Dependent Motivation for Motor Effort - DoMoCo2

Short title used by the registry

Striatal Dopamine and Motor Control: Trait- and State-Dependent Motivation for Motor Effort

Original description

Intervention: Group 1: Clinical population: 36 people with less than 2 years of clinical Parkinson's Disease (PD) diagnosis according to the MDS clinical diagnostic criteria (including male and females). All study participants (patients with PD and HC) will undergo the same study protocol. The study consists out of three visits, including one neuroimaging session as well as a counter-balanced sham/stimulation phase of vagus nerve stimulation across the three visits. At all three visits motor tests and a motivational force task will be employed.Group 2: Healthy control population: 36 healthy control (HC) subjects will be selected to match the patient cohort according to age, sex, handedness and education. All study participants (patients with PD and HC) will undergo the same study protocol. The study consists out of three visits, including one neuroimaging session as well as a counter-balanced sham/stimulation phase of vagus nerve stimulation across the three visits. At all three visits motor tests and a motivational force task will be employed. Primary outcome: Motor motivation measured at T1-T3 with an incentivised force task (adapted from LeBouc, 2016)[https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3078-15.2016]. Motor performance measured with the UPDRS-III. Secondary outcome: Imaging markers of disease progression (T1). Performance in an incentivized yank task during fMRI (T1). Cognitive performance in a computerized dual task (T1). Self reported life style factors (T3).

Conditions reported: Parkinson's Disease G20;Parkinson disease

Registry records for this study

Records are joined using registration identifiers. Titles alone do not establish that two studies are the same.

German Clinical Trials Register · DRKS00038038 ↗ — Recruiting; WHO ICTRP processed 2026-02-02; checked 2026-10-14

Study type: Interventional
Interventions: Group 1: Clinical population: 36 people with less than 2 years of clinical Parkinson's Disease (PD) diagnosis according to the MDS clinical diagnostic criteria (including male and females). All study participants (patients with PD and HC) will undergo the same study protocol. The study consists out of three visits, including one neuroimaging session as well as a counter-balanced sham/stimulation phase of vagus nerve stimulation across the three visits. At all three visits motor tests and a motivational force task will be employed.Group 2: Healthy control population: 36 healthy control (HC) subjects will be selected to match the patient cohort according to age, sex, handedness and education. All study participants (patients with PD and HC) will undergo the same study protocol. The study consists out of three visits, including one neuroimaging session as well as a counter-balanced sham/stimulation phase of vagus nerve stimulation across the three visits. At all three visits motor tests and a motivational force task will be employed.
Phases: N/A
Sponsor: Uniklinik Köln, Klinik für Neurologie und Klinik für Nuklearmedizin
Start date reported by registry: 2025-12-16 (reported)

Registry updated: Not reported · Status last verified by the registry submitter: Not reported

Registry records retrieved 2026-10-14 (UTC). Individual records may have older updates. Recruitment and eligibility must be confirmed with the study team.

Contact the research team

Public study contacts supplied to the registry. Ask whether recruitment is still open and what participation involves.

Thilo van Eimeren · +49-221-478 82843 · thilo.van-eimeren@uk-koeln.de

Study locations

Site status can differ from overall study status. “Status not reported” means local availability needs confirmation. Remote participation and travel arrangements must be checked with the team.

Facility not reported

Germany

Status not reported

The original descriptions and participation rules come from the registry. Participation is voluntary and does not guarantee benefit.