ClinicalTrials.gg
Status unknownNCT04775875Updated Sep 28, 2022

The Use of Transcranial Ultrasound Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

An interventional study of Focused Ultrasound in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, sponsored by Neurological Associates of West Los Angeles. Status unknown at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-09-28.

Sponsored by Neurological Associates of West Los Angeles · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Sep 2022), so the status shown — last known as Enrolling by invitation — may be out of date.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
30
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

The primary objective of this study is to determine the safety and efficacy of ultrasound as a treatment for Obsessive Compulsive disorder.

Read the detailed description

The present study is being undertaken as an open-label study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of focused ultrasound as an intervention for patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Participants in this study will undergo 8 consecutive weekly sessions of transcranial low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFUP) targeting the caudate of the basal ganglia. The safety of this protocol will be closely monitored and data will be used to determine whether any significant safety issues exist when using focused ultrasound for this neurological application. Treatment response will be measured using the Beck Depression \& Anxiety Inventories, the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, and the Global Rating of Change Scale.

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Conditions studied

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
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In context

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

626 studies on the registry are indexed under Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; 162 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 30 is below the median of 45 across 510 interventional studies indexed under Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Browse Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder studies →

Lead sponsor

Neurological Associates of West Los Angeles is the lead sponsor of 26 studies on the registry; 7 are open to participants now.

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

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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

  • Diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
  • Score greater than 15 on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y- BOCS)
  • Failure to remit with 3 SSRIs, antidepressants and/or anxiolytics
  • Must be willing to comply with the study protocol
  • English Proficiency
  • At least 18 years of age

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects not English proficient
  • Subjects unable to give informed con-sent
  • Subjects who would not be able to lay down without excessive movement in a calm environment sufficiently long enough to be able to achieve sleep
  • Pregnancy, women who may become pregnant or are breastfeeding
  • Advanced terminal illness
  • Any active cancer or chemotherapy
  • Any other neoplastic illness or illness characterized by neovascularity
  • Macular degeneration
  • Subjects with scalp rash or open wounds on the scalp (for example from treatment of squamous cell cancer)
  • Advanced kidney, pulmonary, cardiac or liver failure
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Study design

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

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Active

    Patients will undergo ten to thirty minutes of transcranial ultrasound treatment. The sonification device will be aimed at the caudate. Targeting will include reference to scalp fiducials based on the obtained MRI; confirmation of target accuracy will either be obtained by Doppler waveform confirmation or optical tracking technology which co-registers patient neuroimaging with real space.

    Device: Focused Ultrasound

Interventions

  • DeviceFocused Ultrasound

    The DWL Doppler ultrasound device enables visual and auditory wave form confirmation of cerebral arteries, and optical tracking technology (eg, AntNeuro Visor2 system) may be used in tandem with the Brainsonix Pulsar 1002 ultrasound device to track a patient's brain in virtual space as well as their physical location, thereby ensuring accurate placement.

    Also known as: Brainsonix; DWL

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Scale (Y-BOC)

    This instrument is designed to evaluate the severity of symptoms for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The Y-BOC is composed of 10 items, and uses a scale that ranges from 0-4 based on the individuals mark going from 0 as no symptoms to 4 extreme symptoms for a total possible score of 40. Severity range is as follows: subclinical OCD is indicated by scores ranging from 0-7, mild OCD is indicated by scores ranging from 8-15, moderate OCD is indicated by scores ranging from 16-23, severe OCD is indicated by scores ranging from 24-31, and extreme OCS is indicated by scores ranging from 32-40. Moderate to extreme symptoms are clinically significant. For treatment of OCD, a clinically significant change must decrease greater than or equal to 35% relative to baseline. This amount of change is also most predictive of treatment response.

    Time frame: Baseline

  2. Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)

    The BAI is a 21-question multiple-choice self-report inventory that is used for measuring the severity of anxiety symptoms. Each of the 21 items asks whether the patient has experienced various anxiety symptoms in the last two weeks, and if so, how severely. Each question/answer is scored on a scale value of "0" (not at all) to "3" (severely). Higher total scores indicate more severe anxiety symptoms. The maximum total score possible is 63 points. The standard cutoff scores are: 0-7 = minimal anxiety; 8-15 = mild anxiety; 16-25 = moderate anxiety; 26-63 = severe anxiety. A reduction in score by at least 30% is considered clinically meaningful.

    Time frame: Baseline

  3. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II)

    The BDI-II is a 21-question multiple-choice self-report inventory. Each question involves four possible responses, ranging in intensity from "0" (this item does not apply) to "3" (this item applies severely). The test is scored as the sum of all of the response values; this number is used to determine the severity of depressive symptoms. A score of 0 to 3 is possible for each question with a maximum total score of 63 points. The standard cutoff scores are as follows: 0-13 total points = minimal depression; 14-19 total points = mild depression; 20-28 total points = moderate depression; and 29-63 total points = severe depression. A reduction in the total score by at least 30% is considered to be clinically significant.

    Time frame: Baseline

  4. Global Rating of Change (GRC)

    The GRC consists of a single likert-scale ranging from "-5" (very much worse) to "0" (neutral/no change) to "5" (very much better). The GRC is obtained in an interview format to assess a patient's perceived change in status following a treatment. A score that is at least 2 or greater is considered to indicate clinically significant change.

    Time frame: Baseline

Secondary outcomes

  1. Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Scale (Y-BOC)

    This instrument is designed to evaluate the severity of symptoms for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The Y-BOC is composed of 10 items, and uses a scale that ranges from 0-4 based on the individuals mark going from 0 as no symptoms to 4 extreme symptoms for a total possible score of 40. Severity range is as follows: subclinical OCD is indicated by scores ranging from 0-7, mild OCD is indicated by scores ranging from 8-15, moderate OCD is indicated by scores ranging from 16-23, severe OCD is indicated by scores ranging from 24-31, and extreme OCS is indicated by scores ranging from 32-40. Moderate to extreme symptoms are clinically significant. For treatment of OCD, a clinically significant change must decrease greater than or equal to 35% relative to baseline. This amount of change is also most predictive of treatment response.

    Time frame: 8 weeks from baseline

  2. Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)

    The BAI is a 21-question multiple-choice self-report inventory that is used for measuring the severity of anxiety symptoms. Each of the 21 items asks whether the patient has experienced various anxiety symptoms in the last two weeks, and if so, how severely. Each question/answer is scored on a scale value of "0" (not at all) to "3" (severely). Higher total scores indicate more severe anxiety symptoms. The maximum total score possible is 63 points. The standard cutoff scores are: 0-7 = minimal anxiety; 8-15 = mild anxiety; 16-25 = moderate anxiety; 26-63 = severe anxiety. A reduction in score by at least 30% is considered clinically meaningful.

    Time frame: 8 weeks from baseline

  3. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II)

    The BDI-II is a 21-question multiple-choice self-report inventory. Each question involves four possible responses, ranging in intensity from "0" (this item does not apply) to "3" (this item applies severely). The test is scored as the sum of all of the response values; this number is used to determine the severity of depressive symptoms. A score of 0 to 3 is possible for each question with a maximum total score of 63 points. The standard cutoff scores are as follows: 0-13 total points = minimal depression; 14-19 total points = mild depression; 20-28 total points = moderate depression; and 29-63 total points = severe depression. A reduction in the total score by at least 30% is considered to be clinically significant.

    Time frame: 8 weeks from baseline

  4. Global Rating of Change (GRC)

    The GRC consists of a single likert-scale ranging from "-5" (very much worse) to "0" (neutral/no change) to "5" (very much better). The GRC is obtained in an interview format to assess a patient's perceived change in status following a treatment. A score that is at least 2 or greater is considered to indicate clinically significant change.

    Time frame: 8 weeks from baseline

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • Neurological Associates of West LA
    Santa Monica, California 90403, United States
  • Neurological Associates of West Los Angeles
    Santa Monica, California 90403, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Bloch MH, Landeros-Weisenberger A, Kelmendi B, Coric V, Bracken MB, Leckman JF. A systematic review: antipsychotic augmentation with treatment refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder. Mol Psychiatry. 2006 Jul;11(7):622-32. doi: 10.1038/sj.mp.4001823. Epub 2006 Apr 4. PubMed 16585942 ↗
  • Rapoport JL. Obsessive compulsive disorder and basal ganglia dysfunction. Psychol Med. 1990 Aug;20(3):465-9. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700016962. No abstract available. PubMed 2236357 ↗
  • Welter ML, Burbaud P, Fernandez-Vidal S, Bardinet E, Coste J, Piallat B, Borg M, Besnard S, Sauleau P, Devaux B, Pidoux B, Chaynes P, Tezenas du Montcel S, Bastian A, Langbour N, Teillant A, Haynes W, Yelnik J, Karachi C, Mallet L; French Stimulation dans Trouble Obsessionnel Compulsif (STOC) Study Group. Basal ganglia dysfunction in OCD: subthalamic neuronal activity correlates with symptoms severity and predicts high-frequency stimulation efficacy. Transl Psychiatry. 2011 May 3;1(5):e5. doi: 10.1038/tp.2011.5. PubMed 22832400 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 28, 2022, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04775875
Lead sponsor
Neurological Associates of West Los Angeles
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Mar 1, 2021
Start date
Dec 1, 2020
Primary completion
Dec 1, 2025 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2025 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 28, 2022

Study contacts

Sheldon Jordan, MD
principal investigator · Neurological Associates of West LA

Oversight

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

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