University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
Location status: Recruiting
Location contact
Katherine Scangos, MD, PhD
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Marshall Nambiar, MS
CONTACT
NCT Number: NCT07558148
The investigators will conduct a pilot study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of low-intensity focused ultrasound on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms when delivered to subcortical brain targets. The investigators will use the ATTN201 device to deliver single sessions of unfocused and focused ultrasound to up to three brain targets over 4 study visits and assess the intervention through self-rated scales of OCD symptoms.
Interested in participating?
Request Info18 year–60 year
All sexes
Interventional
Not applicable
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
Location status: Recruiting
Katherine Scangos, MD, PhD
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Marshall Nambiar, MS
CONTACT
Healthy volunteers accepted: No
Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.
Inclusion criteria
The inclusion criteria for the IRB #853085 study, which are also included in this trial are:
In order to be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:
Exclusion criteria
An individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:
Exclusion criteria
for IRB study #853085 include:
Low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) will be administered using the Attune ATTN201 device. This intervention is characterized by a multifocal approach targeting three specific subcortical regions: the subthalamic nucleus (STN), the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), and the ventral striatum (VS+). Unlike clinical treatment trials, this is a target-engagement pilot study where each participant receives single sessions of sonication at these specific coordinates to evaluate acute physiological and symptomatic changes. The intervention includes a within-subject sham-controlled component, where the device is positioned identically but no ultrasound energy is delivered.
Other names: LIFU
Time frame: From the first visit (Visit 1) through the final visit (Visit 10), approximately 6 weeks.
This outcome evaluates the change in symptom intensity using Visual Analog Scales (VAS) scores. VAS include questions regarding urges to compulse/resist compulsions and subjective units of distress (SUDs), measure the intensity of a patient's impulse to carry out or control and inhibit these compulsions, and the amount of distress they feel, and are on a scale between 0-100, where higher scores signify greater symptom severity.
Time frame: Before the first visit (Visit 1) and after the final visit (Visit 10), approximately 6 weeks
This outcome measure evaluates safety and efficacy through neuroimaging conducted prior to and following the intervention. These measures are intended to assess potential effects and target engagement associated with LIFU. Efficacy measures will include changes in MRI-derived metrics (e.g., functional connectivity and/or regional activation in predefined regions of interest associated with the stimulation target). Safety is assessed by the presence of new or worsening structural abnormalities, including edema, hemorrhage, or tissue injury.
Time frame: Immediately after each intervention session and up to 24 hours post-intervention, assessed across the intervention period (Visits 6-9).
This outcome measure evaluates the incidence and severity of adverse events using a structured symptomatic checklist survey administered throughout the study period. The checklist captures the presence, frequency, and severity of potential adverse symptoms. Adverse events will be categorized by type, relatedness, and severity.
Time frame: Baseline through end of intervention period (Visits 2-9), with EMG data collected at every in-person visit, approximately 4 weeks.
This outcome measure evaluates changes in muscle activity using surface electromyography (EMG) recorded from the forearm during sessions. EMG signals will be collected continuously and processed using standardized pipelines. Metrics will include various features (e.g., SNR (dB)) over defined time windows. Change in muscle activity will be assessed by comparing pre-sonication values to post-sonication values.
Time frame: From the first baseline visit (Visit 1) through the final visit (Visit 10).
This outcome measures changes in Obsessive-Compulsive symptom severity using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), administered by a trained clinician. Scores range from 0-40, with higher scores representing greater symptom severity.
Time frame: Baseline through end of intervention period (Visits 2-9), with IMU data collected at every in-person visit, approximately 4 weeks.
This outcome measure evaluates changes in forearm movement amplitude using inertial measurement unit (IMU)-derived acceleration data. Acceleration (m/s²) will be recorded continuously from a microcontroller-based IMU placed on the participant's forearm during in-person sessions and processed using standardized signal processing pipelines. Change in movement amplitude will be assessed by comparing pre-sonication and post-sonication values.
Time frame: Baseline through end of intervention period (Visits 2-9), with IMU data collected at every in-person visit, approximately 4 weeks.
This outcome measure evaluates changes in forearm rotational movement using inertial measurement unit (IMU)-derived angular velocity data. Angular velocity (°/s) will be recorded continuously from a microcontroller-based IMU placed on the participant's forearm during in-person sessions and processed using standardized signal processing pipelines. Change in rotational movement will be assessed by comparing pre-sonication and post-sonication values.
Time frame: Baseline through end of intervention period (Visits 2-9), with PPG data collected at every in-person visit, approximately 6 weeks.
This outcome evaluates changes in heart rate activity using photoplethysmography (PPG) recorded during sessions. PPG signals will be collected from sensors placed on the participant and processed using standardized pipelines. Changes in physiological response will be assessed by comparing pre to post-sonication values.
Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.
University of Pennsylvania
Other
Pilot Study to Investigate Brain Targets for Neuromodulation in Obsessive-compulsive Disorder
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View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.
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