Dorsomedial rTMS For Depression In Borderline Personality Disorder (rTMS)

March 20, 2018 updated by: Jonathan Downar, University Health Network, Toronto

Efficacy Of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation In The Treatment Of Refractory Depression Among Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder

This randomized trial with a crossover design will examine the efficacy of rTMS targeting the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex as a treatment for medication-resistant major depression in patients meeting diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Unknown

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Patients meeting standard DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder, who also meet diagnostic criteria for a major depressive episode that has not responded to medication, will be eligible for inclusion. In a study with a randomized crossover design, they will undergo a course of either either active followed by sham or sham followed by active treatment. Each phase (active or sham) will involve 15 days of rTMS targeting the bilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, 5x weekly, twice-daily with sessions 1 hour apart, using 20 Hz stimulation. Followup visits will occur at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after both courses of treatment.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T2S8
        • Toronto Western Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Are voluntary and competent to consent to treatment.
  • Have met DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder, AND
  • Have met DSM-5 diagnostic criteria of MDD single or recurrent, or Bipolar Disorder with a current Major Depressive Episode at the time of their consultation for rTMS.
  • Are females between the ages of 18 and 65
  • have failed to achieve a clinical response to an adequate dose of an antidepressant based on an Antidepressant Treatment History Form (ATHF) score of > 3 in the current episode OR have been unable to tolerate at least 2 separate trials of antidepressants of inadequate dose and duration (ATHF 1 or 2)
  • have a score ≥18 on the HRSD-17 item
  • able to adhere to the treatment schedule
  • pass the TMS safety-screening questionnaire
  • have normal thyroid functioning and no clinically significant abnormalities on CBC, on pre-study blood work.
  • are already under the care of a psychiatrist who agrees to provide continuity of all non-rTMS aspects of care throughout the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy
  • A lifetime Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, or current psychotic symptoms
  • A MINI diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (current or within the last year), anxiety disorder (generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder), or dysthymia, assessed by a study investigator to be primary and causing greater impairment than current MDDcurrent MDD or BPD
  • Have received rTMS for any previous indication due to the potential compromise of subject blinding
  • Have any significant neurological disorder or insult including, but not limited to: any condition likely to be associated with increased intracranial pressure, space occupying brain lesion, any history of seizure except those therapeutically induced by ECT, cerebral aneurysm, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea, multiple sclerosis, significant head trauma with loss of consciousness for greater than or equal to 5 minutes.
  • Have an intracranial implant (e.g., aneurysm clips, shunts, stimulators, cochlear implants, or electrodes) or any other metal object within or near the head, excluding the mouth that cannot be safely removed
  • If participating in psychotherapy, must have been in stable treatment for at least 3 months prior to entry into the study, with no anticipation of change in the frequency of therapeutic sessions, or the therapeutic focus over the duration of the study
  • Medication: currently (or in the last 4 weeks) taking more than lorazepam 2 mg daily (or equivalent) or any dose of an anticonvulsant due to the potential to limit rTMS efficacy. Medication regimen should be stable for at least 4 weeks prior to first rTMS treatment.
  • Alcohol or substance use: severe substance use disorder (based on DSM-5 diagnostic criteria) assessed by the study investigator to be primary and causing greater impairment than MDD or BPD.
  • Non-correctable clinically significant sensory impairment (i.e., cannot hear well enough to cooperate with interview).
  • Serious suicide attempt that necessitate medical intervention during the last 3 months.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: CROSSOVER
  • Masking: DOUBLE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
EXPERIMENTAL: Active -> Sham
15 days of active, followed by 15 days of sham rTMS, targeting dorsomedial prefrontal cortex bilaterally, two sessions per day (1 hour apart), 20 Hz stimulation, at 120% resting motor threshold
Device: Dorsomedial prefrontal rTMS
Active or sham rTMS targeting the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, 20 Hz stimulation, 120% resting motor threshold, 1500 pulses per hemisphere, using a MagVenture R30 stimulator and Cool-DB80 coil.
Other Names:
  • DMPFC-rTMS
EXPERIMENTAL: Sham -> Active
15 days of sham, followed by 15 days of active rTMS, targeting dorsomedial prefrontal cortex bilaterally, two sessions per day (1 hour apart), 20 Hz stimulation, at 120% resting motor threshold
Device: Dorsomedial prefrontal rTMS
Active or sham rTMS targeting the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, 20 Hz stimulation, 120% resting motor threshold, 1500 pulses per hemisphere, using a MagVenture R30 stimulator and Cool-DB80 coil.
Other Names:
  • DMPFC-rTMS

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
HRSD-17 change
Time Frame: baseline to first followup (1 week post treatment), 3 months post-treatment
The change in the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression from baseline to first followup (1 week post treatment) for period 1 and 2 of the treatment
baseline to first followup (1 week post treatment), 3 months post-treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
ZAN-BPD change
Time Frame: baseline to first followup (1 week post treatment), 3 months post-treatment
The change in the Zanarini Rating Scale for Borderline Personality Disorder from baseline to first followup (1 week post treatment) for period 1 and 2 of the treatment
baseline to first followup (1 week post treatment), 3 months post-treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University Health Network, Toronto

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Dr. Jonathan Downar, MD PhD, University Health Network, Toronto

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (ACTUAL)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 1, 2016

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2017

Study Completion (ANTICIPATED)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 7, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 20, 2018

First Posted (ACTUAL)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 21, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 21, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 20, 2018

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 15-9928

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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