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Recruiting NCT06902298

Personalized Ultrasonic Brain Stimulation for Depression (R61)

Phase I / Phase II Interventional Major Depressive Episode Depression - Major Depressive Disorder Treatment-Resistant Major Depressive Disorder

For patients and families

In plain language

An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.

What is being studied
The protocol lists: LTFUS to SCC, LTFUS to ALIC.
Who it may be relevant to
Registry conditions: Major Depressive Episode, Depression - Major Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant Major Depressive Disorder. Basic parameters: 18 years — 65 years · All.
What needs checking
Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
Where it takes place
United States
Next step
Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →

Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →

Official title

Personalized Ultrasonic Brain Stimulation for Depression: A Study of Target Engagement and Mood Effects

Overview

This study will evaluate a new form of non-invasive brain stimulation for individuals with depression. Personalized low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation will be delivered using a range of stimulation parameters during psychological and physiological monitoring. Individualized optimal targets will be selected using structural MRI and diffusion tractography. Brain target engagement will be evaluated using functional MRI.

Detailed description

This R61 project has 3 aims:

1. To determine whether stimulation engages the subcallosal cingulate (SCC) in an intensity-dependent manner 2. To examine the degree of specificity of neuromodulation by contrasting the neural effects of stimulating two spatially distinct targets versus sham 3. To evaluate safety, tolerability, and side effects

Interventions

  • Device LTFUS to SCC
    Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound delivered to subgenual cingulate cortex
  • Device LTFUS to ALIC
    Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound delivered to anterior limb of internal capsule

Primary outcome measures

  • Modulation of SCC activity during SCC stimulation [Time frame: Days 14, 21, 28]
  • Modulation of SCC activity during ALIC stimulation [Time frame: Days 14, 21]
  • Study dropout [Time frame: From enrollment to the end of participation at 7 weeks]
Secondary outcome measures (9)
  • PANAS-X [Time frame: Immediately before and after each LTFUS on Days 14, 21, 28]
  • MADRS [Time frame: Days 14, 21, 28, 35, 49]
  • HDRS-6 [Time frame: Days 0, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29, 35, 49]
  • IDS-SR [Time frame: Days 0, 14, 21, 28, 35, 49]
  • GAD-7 [Time frame: Days 0, 14, 21, 28, 35, 49]
  • YMRS [Time frame: Days 0, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29, 35, 49]
  • C-SSRS [Time frame: Days 0, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29, 35, 49]
  • GASE [Time frame: Days 15, 22, 29]
  • MoCA [Time frame: Days 14, 15, 49]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 18-65, any gender.
  • Primary diagnosis of DMS-5 major depressive disorder (MINI).
  • Current moderate-to-severe depressive episode, without psychotic features, lasting at least 2 months (MINI).
  • Self-rated 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS) total score > 10.
  • History of at least 2 failed trials of evidence-based antidepressant medication and/or psychotherapy (at least one trial during the current depressive episode).
  • Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and avoid changes to psychiatric treatments (medications, psychotherapy) for the duration of the study.
  • For participants of reproductive potential: negative pregnancy test or use of highly effective contraception for at least 1 month prior to baseline; agreement to use such a method throughout the study.
  • Capacity to provide informed consent; provision of a signed and dated consent form
  • Currently are under the care of a licensed psychiatrist or other mental health care provider, or a licensed addiction medicine specialist and agrees to promptly inform the investigator or the study staff of any change in these providers.
  • Agrees to allow any and all forms of communication between the investigators/study staff and any healthcare provider who currently provides and/or has provided service to the patient/subject within at least two years of study enrollment for the purposes of eligibility confirmation or in case of a safety event.
  • Agrees to provide the name and verifiable contact information (email and mailing addresses, mobile and land-line phone numbers, as applicable) of at least two persons 22 years or older who reside within a 60-minute drive of the patient's residence. Subject agrees that in the event of a safety concern or event during study participation, research staff is at liberty to contact these individuals if the subject does not respond to contact attempts.

Exclusion criteria

  • History of serious brain injury or other neurologic disorder.
  • Poorly managed general medical condition.
  • Pregnant or breast feeding.
  • Implanted device in the head or neck.
  • MRI intolerance or contraindication.
  • Brain stimulation treatment such as ECT, TMS, or VNS (past month).
  • Recent change in antidepressant treatments (past month).
  • 8\. Moderate-High Risk of Suicide according to the Columbia - Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Screen Version - Recent (answers YES to Question 3 and NO to Question 6 (Moderate risk) or YES to Question 4, 5, or 6 (High risk)) and/or in the clinical judgement of the PI or a study psychiatrist
  • Suicidal behavior (past year).
  • Serious suicide attempt 33 (lifetime).
  • Moderate-to-severe substance use disorder (MINI, past 3 months).
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder, primary diagnosis (MINI, past month).
  • Posttraumatic stress disorder, primary diagnosis (MINI, past month).
  • Bipolar-spectrum disorder (MINI, lifetime).
  • Schizophrenia-spectrum disorder (MINI, lifetime).
  • Neurocognitive disorder (DSM-5, past year).
  • Severe personality disorder.
  • Clinically inappropriate for participation in the study as determined by the study team.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation
Randomized
Model
Crossover
Masking
Triple blind
Primary purpose
Basic science

Study locations

United States · 1 center
  • University of Utah — Salt Lake City

Identifiers

NCT: NCT06902298 · IRB_00148802R61 · R61MH134943

Primary sources (government registries)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗