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NCT Number: NCT07558148

OCD LIFU Target Engagement

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.

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Key information

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Katherine Scangos, MD, PhD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Marshall Nambiar, MS

CONTACT

[email protected]

215-746-8901

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Participants must be enrolled in the IRB #853085 study

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:

  • Adults aged 18-60 years old
  • Chronic OCD (5 years preceding date of enrollment), diagnosed as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition guidelines (DSM-5)
  • Presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both time-consuming obsessions and compulsions that take more than one hour a day or cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupation, or other important areas of functioning Obsessive-compulsive symptoms that are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or another medical condition
  • Disturbance not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder listed in the DSM-5 Severe OCD symptoms, as defined by Y-BOCS I score of 28 or higher, within two weeks prior to enrollment
  • Compulsions need to involve movement of the hands and/or arms so that the sleeve is able to detect participant's actions (cannot be solely mental or verbal compulsions)
  • Ability to understand procedure-related instructions and to complete study assessments in English, and ability to comply with protocol requirements (e.g., procedure visits, treatment schedule, follow-up visit schedule, evaluations, etc.), in the opinion of the Principal Investigator
  • Willingness and ability to provide written agreement to allow any and all forms of communication between the research team and treating clinician(s) 8 Willingness and ability to provide informed consent, in the opinion of the Principal Investigator

Exclusion criteria

An individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:

  • Unable to undergo MRI scan
  • Presence of metallic implants or devices or tattoos
  • Claustrophobia or severe anxiety
  • Inability to remain still for duration of scan
  • Inability to fit and wear the ATTN201 device for the entire

Exclusion criteria

for IRB study #853085 include:

  • Hearing loss that, in the opinion of the Principal Investigator, an audiologist, or a treating physician, is likely to affect the subject's ability to comply with all of the requirements of the study, or may affect the integrity of the study data
  • Pregnancy - this is an exclusion criterion because we will be intentionally increasing anxiety in participants to evaluate optimal strategies to provoke distress and then promote relaxation
  • Any past or present medical condition, disease, disorder, or injury that, in the opinion of the Principal Investigator, may reduce or hinder the subject's ability to fully comply with all study requirements for the duration of the study or may impact, compromise, or affect the integrity of the data or results of the study.
  • Have a previous injury or surgery which could affect the nerve distribution
  • Have nerve damage (neuropathy)
  • Have a diagnosed neuromuscular disorder
  • Have a pacemaker
  • Have a history of skin allergies, psoriasis eczema, dermatitis, or other skin inflammation conditions
  • Compulsions cannot be completely mental or verbal actions, such as repeating words, counting objects, or performing mental rituals, and cannot involve only facial muscles/actions such as blinking or staring

Treatment and study plan

Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound

Device

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

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Symptom Intensity through VAS score

    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.

  2. Changes in Imaging between Pre- and Post-Intervention

    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.

  3. Incidence of Adverse Events Assesed by Symptom Checklist

    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.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Physiological Changes Measured by EMG

    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.

  2. Change in Y-BOCS score after sonication

    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.

  3. Change in Acceleration Measured by IMU

    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.

  4. Change in Angular Velocity Measured by IMU

    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.

  5. Change in Heart Rate Assessed by Photoplethysmography (PPG)

    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.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Marshall Nambiar, MS

CONTACT

[email protected]

215-746-8901

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Pennsylvania

Other

Collaborators

  • Attune Neurosciences Inc

Registry information

Official study title

Pilot Study to Investigate Brain Targets for Neuromodulation in Obsessive-compulsive Disorder

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Apr 30, 2026
Registry last updated
Jul 24, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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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