Non-Invasive Neuromodulation for Essential Tremor: Long-Term Safety and Effectiveness Study

August 17, 2026 updated by: Ruijin Hospital

A Prospective, Single-Center, Single-Arm, Open-Label Clinical Study Evaluating the Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Transcutaneous Afferent Patterned Stimulation (TAPS) in Patients With Essential Tremor

This is a prospective, single-center, single-arm, open-label clinical study designed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of non-invasive neuromodulation using transcutaneous afferent patterned stimulation (TAPS) in patients with essential tremor (ET).

Essential tremor is a common movement disorder that can significantly impair daily functioning and quality of life. Pharmacological treatments are often limited by suboptimal efficacy or adverse effects, highlighting the need for alternative therapeutic approaches.

In this study, eligible participants with essential tremor will receive TAPS treatment over a defined follow-up period. Clinical outcomes, including tremor severity, functional performance, and patient-reported outcomes, will be assessed longitudinally to evaluate treatment effectiveness. Safety will be monitored throughout the study by recording adverse events and device-related complications.

The results of this study aim to provide clinical evidence regarding the long-term therapeutic potential and safety profile of TAPS as a non-invasive neuromodulation strategy for essential tremor.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

50

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • China
      • Shanghai, China
        • Recruiting
        • Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, Shanghai 200025
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged ≥18 and <75 years
  • Clinical diagnosis of essential tremor (ET), characterized by postural and/or kinetic tremor, primarily affecting one or both upper limbs, with or without involvement of other body regions (e.g., head, voice, or lower limbs)
  • At least one major hand task score ≥2 on the TETRAS (The Essential Tremor Rating Assessment Scale), and a score ≥3 on the Bain & Findley Activities of Daily Living (BF-ADL) scale
  • Able and willing to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of implanted electronic medical devices (e.g., deep brain stimulator or cardiac pacemaker)
  • History of thalamotomy or other neurosurgical procedures for tremor
  • History of epilepsy
  • Current treatment with botulinum toxin for upper limb tremor
  • Skin lesions on the upper limb at the stimulation site (e.g., tumors, hemangiomas)
  • Neurological disorders affecting the upper limbs
  • Known allergy to device materials (e.g., silicone, cotton textiles)
  • Pregnant women
  • Intake of caffeine or excessive alcohol within 8 hours prior to enrollment
  • Severe cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases, or other significant neurological disorders
  • Inability to comply with study procedures or follow-up

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: TAPS Treatment
Device: Transcutaneous Afferent Patterned Stimulation
A non-invasive, wearable neuromodulation device that delivers transcutaneous afferent patterned stimulation (TAPS) to modulate neural circuits associated with essential tremor. The device is applied according to the study protocol over the treatment period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Tremor Severity (The Essential Tremor Rating Assessment Scale [TETRAS] Score)
Time Frame: Baseline; Day 1; 1 month; 3 months
Change in tremor severity from baseline to each post-treatment time point, assessed using the The Essential Tremor Rating Assessment Scale (TETRAS). The TETRAS score ranges from 0 to 64, with higher scores indicating more severe tremor.
Baseline; Day 1; 1 month; 3 months
Incidence of Adverse Events
Time Frame: 3 months
Incidence, type, and severity of adverse events occurring after treatment initiation. Adverse events will be graded according to standard criteria (e.g., CTCAE)
3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Activities of Daily Living (Blessed Functional Activities of Daily Living [BF-ADL] Score)
Time Frame: Baseline; Day 1; 1 month; 3 months
Change in activities of daily living from baseline to each post-treatment time point, assessed using the Blessed Functional Activities of Daily Living Scale (BF-ADL). The BF-ADL score ranges from 0 to 17, with higher scores indicating greater functional impairment.
Baseline; Day 1; 1 month; 3 months
Change in Anxiety Severity (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale [HAMA])
Time Frame: Baseline; 1 month; 3 months
Change in anxiety severity from baseline to each post-treatment time point, assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA). The HAMA score ranges from 0 to 56, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety.
Baseline; 1 month; 3 months
Change in Depression Severity (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAMD])
Time Frame: Baseline; 1 month; 3 months
Change in depression severity from baseline to each post-treatment time point, assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD). The HAMD score ranges from 0 to 52, with higher scores indicating more severe depression.
Baseline; 1 month; 3 months
Change in Cognitive Function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA])
Time Frame: Baseline; 1 month; 3 months
Change in cognitive function from baseline to each post-treatment time point, assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The MoCA score ranges from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognitive function.
Baseline; 1 month; 3 months
Change in Cognitive Function (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE])
Time Frame: Baseline; 1 month; 3 months
Change in cognitive function from baseline to each post-treatment time point, assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The MMSE score ranges from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognitive function.
Baseline; 1 month; 3 months
Change in EEG Alpha Band Power
Time Frame: Baseline; 1 month; 3 months
Change in electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha band power (8-12 Hz) from baseline to each post-treatment time point.
Baseline; 1 month; 3 months
Change in Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) Amplitude
Time Frame: Baseline; 1 month; 3 months
Change in motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude from baseline to each post-treatment time point, measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation. MEP amplitude is measured in millivolts (mV), with higher values indicating greater corticospinal excitability.
Baseline; 1 month; 3 months
Change in Functional Connectivity (fMRI)
Time Frame: Baseline; 3 months
Change in functional connectivity between predefined brain regions from baseline to post-treatment, assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Baseline; 3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Ruijin Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

December 15, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

March 15, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 15, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 22, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 17, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

August 19, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 19, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 17, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • ET_TAPS

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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