The Use of Transcranial Ultrasound Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Open Label Study for the Use of Transcranial Ultrasound Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

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

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Focused Ultrasound

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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

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

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

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:

• 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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

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; 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.; Other Names: Brainsonix; DWL

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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.	Baseline
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.	Baseline
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.	Baseline
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.	Baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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.	8 weeks from baseline
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.	8 weeks from baseline
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.	8 weeks from baseline
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.	8 weeks from baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Neurological Associates of West Los Angeles
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Sheldon Jordan, MD, Neurological Associates of West LA

Publications and helpful links

General 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. Erratum In: Mol Psychiatry. 2006 Aug;11(8):795.
• Rapoport JL. Obsessive compulsive disorder and basal ganglia dysfunction. Psychol Med. 1990 Aug;20(3):465-9. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700016962. No abstract available.
• 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.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 1, 2020
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): December 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 25, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 25, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): March 1, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 28, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 26, 2022
• Last Verified: September 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Personality Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Compulsive Personality Disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: fUS-OCD

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: Yes