An interventional study of Target optimization using LIFU and Serial LIFU stimulation in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy, Epilepsy and Epilepsy (Treatment Refractory), sponsored by University of California, San Francisco. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 21 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-02.
Sponsored by University of California, San Francisco · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of a non-invasive, low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) stimulation on seizure frequency and the epileptogenic network in drug-resistant epilepsy. LIFU uses focused sound waves to modulate deep brain regions and to enable changes in brain network activity. Encephalography (EEG) and behavioral tasks will also be used to study how LIFU affects brain activity.
257 studies on the registry are indexed under Drug Resistant Epilepsy; 108 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 40 is above the median of 30 across 202 interventional studies indexed under Drug Resistant Epilepsy.
Browse Drug Resistant Epilepsy studies →University of California, San Francisco is the lead sponsor of 2,169 studies on the registry; 372 are open to participants now.
Of its 267 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 202 (76%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria
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Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
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A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Clinically significant
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
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Participants in this single experimental group will undergo a series of LIFU sessions to determine optimal clinical response. Each participant will receive active LIFU stimulation of up to three personalized brain targets. The study utilizes a within-subject, sham-controlled design where participants receive both active LIFU and sham (placebo) stimulation across different sessions to compare physiological and clinical responses.
Device: Target optimization using LIFU
If an optimal target is identified, patients will undergo serial stimulation of the optimal target.
Device: Serial LIFU stimulation
LIFU will be administered using the ATTN201 wearable device by Attune Neurosciences Inc. Positioning is guided by an offline MRI scan, enabling non-invasive targeting of the LIFU beams directly to deep brain structures. Targeting will be determined based on the epileptogenic network.
Also known as: Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound (LIFU)
Serial LIFU will again be administered using the ATTN201 wearable device by Attune Neurosciences Inc. Serial stimulation target selection will be based on the initial target optimization outcome, including the assessment of physiology and clinical treatment response.
Also known as: Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound (LIFU)
Seizure Frequency
Seizure counts will be obtained from a seizure diary kept by each participant.
Time frame: Seizure counts will be obtained daily for at least 1 month prior to the first study visit, throughout the study which averages around 4 months, and monitored for up to 2 months after the final visit.
LIFU induced network change based on fMRI and/or electrophysiology
Baseline and post-serial stimulation fMRI and scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) will be obtained and compared. To measure brain activity, individuals will undergo a 1-hour scalp EEG recording with sensors placed in a standard 10-20 montage array. Patients will be instructed to rest quietly and attempt sleep during this routine EEG. EEG outcome measures will include interictal epileptiform discharge frequency and spectral power changes in the delta to gamma frequency bands pre versus post stimulation.
Time frame: Obtained at the baseline visit and the final day of serial stimulation, which averages around 4 months.
Cognitive battery
A cognitive battery will be performed before and following stimulation and will span elements of working memory, inhibition, and planning. The cognitive battery will constitute the N-back (working memory), flanker (inhibition), dimensional set-shifting (set-shifting), and visuospatial memory assessments (working spatial memory).
Time frame: The cognitive battery will be performed at baseline visit, as well as at the beginning and end of routine study visits; the duration averages around a 4 month period.
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared with outside researchers at this time to ensure the protection of participant privacy and to maintain strict compliance with the University of California San Francisco IRB approved protocol.
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