ClinicalTrials.gg
TerminatedNCT03900468EPASUpdated Apr 24, 2026

Medtronic Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Therapy for Epilepsy Post-Approval Study (EPAS)

An interventional study of Activa™ PC and Percept™ PC Neurostimulation Systems in Epilepsy, sponsored by MedtronicNeuro. Terminated at 8 sites in 2 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-24.

Sponsored by MedtronicNeuro (part of Medtronic) · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was terminated
Study was terminated early since effectiveness and safety of the DBS Therapy System for Epilepsy was evaluated by using real-world evidence (RWE) gathered from the Medtronic Registry for Epilepsy (MORE).

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was Oct 2025, 1 year ago, and no results have been posted to the registry.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
29
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this post-approval study is to further evaluate the long-term safety and effectiveness of Medtronic DBS therapy for epilepsy on seizure reduction in newly implanted participants through 3 years of follow-up.

02

Conditions studied

  • Epilepsy

Browse trials for

Keywords

  • Epilepsy
  • Deep Brain Stimulation
  • DBS
  • EPAS
03

In context

Epilepsy

1,848 studies on the registry are indexed under Epilepsy; 422 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 29 is below the median of 50 across 1,239 interventional studies indexed under Epilepsy.

Browse Epilepsy studies →

Lead sponsor

MedtronicNeuro is the lead sponsor of 74 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.

Of its 21 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 17 (81%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Focal (partial) onset seizures (based on International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) 2017 classification) that may or may not evolve to a bilateral tonic-clonic seizure (secondary generalization). The final determination shall be made by the Investigator based on a clinical description of the seizures and previous diagnostic testing that includes, at a minimum, video EEG (inpatient or ambulatory) that captured at least one ictal event
  • Anticipated average of 6 or more focal (partial) onset seizures per month during CMM phase, with no more than 30 consecutive seizure-free days during the CMM phase
  • to at least 3 antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) due to lack of effectiveness
  • Age 18 or older at the time of enrollment
  • Willing and able to complete the diary, with or without the assistance of a caregiver, in a reliable way as assessed by the clinical staff
  • Able to use the Patient Programmer with or without the assistance of a caregiver
  • Ability of the subject or legal representative to understand and provide signed consent for participating in the study
  • Willing and available to attend visits as scheduled and to comply with the study protocol

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Generalized onset epilepsy type (based on International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) 2017 classification)
  • Seizure frequency is too frequent that subject is unable to provide daily count in order to maintain a reliable seizure diary
  • Any episode of convulsive status epilepticus within the 12 months prior to the Enrollment Visit
  • Previous diagnosis of psychogenic/non-epileptic seizures within the 12 months prior to the Enrollment Visit
  • Surgical candidate for and willing to undergo resective surgery
  • Evidence of a neurological condition that is likely to progress (e.g., brain tumor, arteriovenous malformations or cavernous angiomas)
  • Diagnosed with a progressive or degenerative neurological disorder affecting the brain
  • Significant medical condition that may impact study participation in the opinion of the investigator
  • Presence of any of the following within 1 year prior to the Enrollment Visit: psychiatric illness hospitalization, suicide attempt or symptoms of psychosis (hallucinations, delusions) unrelated to an ictal state, a post-ictal state or a medication
  • or history of malignancy within 1 year prior to the Enrollment Visit (excluding resected basal cell carcinomas)
  • Presence of implanted electrical stimulation medical device anywhere in the body (e.g., cardiac pacemakers, spinal cord stimulator, RNS) or any metallic implants in the head (e.g., aneurysm clip, cochlear implant). In the case of an implanted vagus nerve stimulator (VNS), CMM study assessment collection may occur with the device implanted but may not begin until the VNS has been off for at least 30 days. The VNS generator must be explanted prior to or at the time of the DBS neurostimulator implant and the leads removed or trimmed and capped. In the case of a subject who had been previously implanted with a responsive neurostimulator (RNS) but had a full system explant, a subject cannot begin CMM study assessment collection until the RNS has been off for at least 30 days.
  • Risk factors that would put the participant at risk for intraoperative or postoperative bleeding. This includes administration of any antiplatelet or anticoagulant medication in the 7 days prior to surgery, chronic anticoagulant use, chronic aspirin use of greater than 325 mg/day, and any participant with a history of hemorrhagic stroke
  • History of drug or alcohol abuse within the past year
  • Condition or disease that is known to require repeat magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs)
  • Currently participating, or plans to participate, in another study unless written approval is provided by the Medtronic study team

Implant Criteria

  • Experienced an average of 6 or more focal (partial) onset seizures per month during CMM phase, with no more than 30 consecutive seizure-free days (all seizure types)
  • Completed a qualifying baseline diary. A qualifying baseline diary meets at least one the following criteria: 1) a study diary with at least 28 completed days; 2) a pre-existing diary with at least 70 completed days.
  • Completed 3-month CMM visit
  • No suicide attempt or other self-harm behaviors within past year (assessed by Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) at 3-month CMM Visit)
  • For female subjects of , has negative pregnancy test and if sexually active continues using reliable form of .
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(5)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Relapsed and refractory

Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
29 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Active Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

    Device: Activa™ PC and Percept™ PC Neurostimulation Systems

Interventions

  • DeviceActiva™ PC and Percept™ PC Neurostimulation Systems

    Implanted DBS system consisting of a Neurostimulator, Leads, Extensions, and potential accessories including Burr Hole Devices, Clinician Tablet, Clinician Programmer Therapy Application Software, Clinician Programmer Communicator, Patient Programmer

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Percentage Reduction in Total Seizure Frequency

    The percentage of total seizure frequency reduction will be assessed using the participant seizure diaries to demonstrate DBS therapy effectiveness

    Time frame: Pre-implant compared to 36 months post-implant

Secondary outcomes

  1. Percentage Reduction in Total Seizure Frequency

    The percentage of total seizure frequency reduction will be assessed using the participant seizure diaries to demonstrate DBS therapy effectiveness

    Time frame: Pre-implant compared to 12 months post-implant

  2. Percentage Reduction in Total Disabling Seizure Frequency

    The percentage of total disabling seizure frequency reduction will be assessed using the participant seizure diaries to demonstrate DBS therapy effectiveness

    Time frame: Pre-implant compared to 12 months post-implant

  3. Percentage Reduction in Temporal Lobe Originated Seizure Frequency

    The percentage of temporal lobe originated seizure frequency reduction will be assessed using the participant seizure diaries to demonstrate DBS therapy effectiveness

    Time frame: Pre-implant compared to 12 months post-implant

  4. SUDEP Rate Characterization

    To characterize the Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) rate. Any participant deaths will be reported in the study database and SUDEP will be evaluated and reported by the site. The Clinical Events Committee (CEC) will evaluate all deaths and make the final determination of SUDEP used for this objective.

    Time frame: Implant to 36 months post-implant

07

Study locations

8 sites
  • University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
    Los Angeles, California 90095-1406, United States
  • University of California San Francisco UCSF Medical Center
    San Francisco, California 94143, United States
  • Emory University Hospital
    Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3049, United States
  • University of Kansas Medical Center
    Kansas City, Kansas 66160-8500, United States
  • Mayo Clinic (Rochester MN)
    Rochester, Minnesota 55905, United States
  • Cleveland Clinic
    Cleveland, Ohio 44195, United States
  • The Ohio State University
    Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
  • Fakultni nemocnice u sv. Anny v Brně/ Milan Brazdil
    Brno, 656 91, Czechia
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Mar 2020 to primary completion in Oct 2025, 67 months.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Apr 1, 2019
First posted
Apr 3, 2019
StartActual
Mar 5, 2020
Primary completionActual
Oct 15, 2025
CompletionActual
Feb 26, 2026
Last update
Apr 24, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 24, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03900468
Lead sponsor
MedtronicNeuro
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Apr 3, 2019
Start date
Mar 5, 2020
Primary completion
Oct 15, 2025
Completion
Feb 26, 2026
Last update
Apr 24, 2026

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is terminated, as verified in Apr 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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