Parkinson’s Patients Prefer Medtronic’s Adaptive Brain Stimulation Over Traditional Settings, Major Study Shows

In February 2025, the FDA approved Medtronic’s adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) system for Parkinson’s disease, marking a significant advance over older continuous DBS (cDBS) therapies1 5.

aDBS systems monitor brain signals in real time and adjust stimulation automatically, providing more precise, personalized control of symptoms compared to traditional settings where stimulation is continuous and manually set1 2 5.

The approval and clinical rollout were backed by promising results from the ADAPT-PD study, a global randomized clinical trial led by NIH BRAIN Initiative-funded researchers and Medtronic, involving 70 participants; full results are expected in mid-2025 but early data have shown clear patient preference for adaptive settings3 4 5.

Patients using the adaptive system report more even symptom control, less need to make manual adjustments, and a reduced burden compared to traditional DBS, as the system automatically adapts to symptom fluctuations throughout the day2 4 5.

Existing Medtronic Percept DBS device users will have access to this adaptive upgrade, and the system is anticipated to benefit both new and current DBS patients4 5.