MORPHEUS-2 (Manipulating and Optimising Brain Rhythms for Enhancement of Sleep)

A clinical trial will update the software in deep brain stimulators already implanted in Parkinson’s patients to deliver electrical pulses timed to the brain’s natural daily rhythms, rather than at a constant rate. Current deep brain stimulation (DBS) sends steady, unvarying electrical pulses to specific brain regions. This helps control movement symptoms but does nothing for the severe sleep disruption that affects most people with Parkinson’s. The problem is that the brain’s internal clock—the circadian rhythm—is itself disrupted in Parkinson’s, and constant stimulation may even worsen that disruption. This trial tests whether DBS pulses that vary in strength and timing across the day and night can restore more natural sleep-wake cycles. If the approach works, it could transform a common but neglected symptom of Parkinson’s without requiring new surgery—only a firmware update to existing implants. Better sleep would improve daytime alertness, mood, and quality of life for patients. The trial is a direct extension of the larger SPARKS trial at North Bristol NHS Trust, which is already testing adaptive DBS for movement symptoms. This is applied clinical research with a clear, near-term practical goal: making an existing medical device work smarter, not harder.