Trial Outcomes & Findings for Vagal Nerve Stimulation for Treatment Resistant Major Depression (NCT NCT04990687)

Last Updated: 2024-07-01

Results Overview

Calculated by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS): Each item has a severity scale from 0 to 6, with higher scores reflecting more severe symptoms. Ratings can be added to form an overall score (from 0 to 60). Snaith, Harrop, Newby, and Teale (1986) proposed the following cut-offs: scores of 0-6 indicate an absence of symptoms; 7-19 represent mild Depression; 20-34 moderate; 35-60 indicate severe Depression.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

Target enrollment

5 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

3 months

Results posted on

2024-07-01

Participant Flow

Potential study participant pre-screening and recruitment activities were initiated January 1, 2022. The first study participant was screened May 5, 2022, and enrolled May 27, 2022. The last study participant was screened March 7, 2023, and enrolled March 10, 2023. Potential participants were recruited from the outpatient clinic at UAB and in the surrounding community.

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure	Intervention Group Treatment effects will be measured using standard rating scales including the HDRS-17, MADRS, SF-36, CSSR-S, CGI-I, CGI-S, which will be completed at each visit. The following scales will be completed at every other visit following the screening visit: Social Anhedonia Scale, the Motivation and Energy Inventory and the Physical Anhedonia Scale. At each study visit safety assessments including vital sign assessment and adverse event assessment will be completed. Subjects will also undergo physical examination and an ECG for safety during screening, after 8 weeks of treatment and at the end of 12 weeks of treatment. gammaCore™: Implantable VNS (iVNS), the electrical stimulation of the nervous system to modulate or modify function, has been FDA approved in the United States since the late 1990s. Implantable VNS therapy has been approved for use in epilepsy and depression. When treating major depression with implanted VNS, the widely held belief is that chronic stimulation is required for therapeutic effect. In trials of implantable VNS in major depression, more patients respond at 12 months than at 3 months. Once depressed patients respond to VNS, the effects have been demonstrated to continue for up to five years with continued stimulation. This finding suggests that VNS gradually changes brain function through neuroplasticity.
Overall Study STARTED	5
Overall Study COMPLETED	5
Overall Study NOT COMPLETED	0

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Vagal Nerve Stimulation for Treatment Resistant Major Depression

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure	Intervention Group n=5 Participants Treatment effects will be measured using standard rating scales including the HDRS-17, MADRS, SF-36, CSSR-S, CGI-I, CGI-S, which will be completed at each visit. The following scales will be completed at every other visit following the screening visit: Social Anhedonia Scale, the Motivation and Energy Inventory and the Physical Anhedonia Scale. At each study visit safety assessments including vital sign assessment and adverse event assessment will be completed. Subjects will also undergo physical examination and an ECG for safety during screening, after 8 weeks of treatment and at the end of 12 weeks of treatment. gammaCore™: Implantable VNS (iVNS), the electrical stimulation of the nervous system to modulate or modify function, has been FDA approved in the United States since the late 1990s. Implantable VNS therapy has been approved for use in epilepsy and depression. When treating major depression with implanted VNS, the widely held belief is that chronic stimulation is required for therapeutic effect. In trials of implantable VNS in major depression, more patients respond at 12 months than at 3 months. Once depressed patients respond to VNS, the effects have been demonstrated to continue for up to five years with continued stimulation. This finding suggests that VNS gradually changes brain function through neuroplasticity.
Age, Categorical <=18 years	0 Participants n=5 Participants
Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years	5 Participants n=5 Participants
Age, Categorical >=65 years	0 Participants n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male Female	2 Participants n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male Male	3 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native	0 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Asian	0 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	0 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American	0 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) White	5 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race	0 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported	0 Participants n=5 Participants
Region of Enrollment United States	5 participants n=5 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 3 months

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure	Intervention Group n=5 Participants Treatment effects will be measured using standard rating scales including the HDRS-17, MADRS, SF-36, CSSR-S, CGI-I, CGI-S, which will be completed at each visit. The following scales will be completed at every other visit following the screening visit: Social Anhedonia Scale, the Motivation and Energy Inventory and the Physical Anhedonia Scale. At each study visit safety assessments including vital sign assessment and adverse event assessment will be completed. Subjects will also undergo physical examination and an ECG for safety during screening, after 8 weeks of treatment and at the end of 12 weeks of treatment. gammaCore™: Implantable VNS (iVNS), the electrical stimulation of the nervous system to modulate or modify function, has been FDA approved in the United States since the late 1990s. Implantable VNS therapy has been approved for use in epilepsy and depression. When treating major depression with implanted VNS, the widely held belief is that chronic stimulation is required for therapeutic effect. In trials of implantable VNS in major depression, more patients respond at 12 months than at 3 months. Once depressed patients respond to VNS, the effects have been demonstrated to continue for up to five years with continued stimulation. This finding suggests that VNS gradually changes brain function through neuroplasticity.
Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at 3 Months	12.3 score on a scale Standard Deviation 8.6

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 3 months

Population: There were no serious adverse events related to nVNS. One participant required surgery that was unrelated to nVNS and was lost to follow-up after month five. The only adverse event reported was one instance of mild neck soreness which resolved after changing the side to which stimulation was administered.

gammaCore (nVNS) activates the vagus nerve with patented, gentle electrical stimulation. Adverse events were collected for each study participant, and assessed for relatedness to study treatment.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure	Intervention Group n=5 Participants Treatment effects will be measured using standard rating scales including the HDRS-17, MADRS, SF-36, CSSR-S, CGI-I, CGI-S, which will be completed at each visit. The following scales will be completed at every other visit following the screening visit: Social Anhedonia Scale, the Motivation and Energy Inventory and the Physical Anhedonia Scale. At each study visit safety assessments including vital sign assessment and adverse event assessment will be completed. Subjects will also undergo physical examination and an ECG for safety during screening, after 8 weeks of treatment and at the end of 12 weeks of treatment. gammaCore™: Implantable VNS (iVNS), the electrical stimulation of the nervous system to modulate or modify function, has been FDA approved in the United States since the late 1990s. Implantable VNS therapy has been approved for use in epilepsy and depression. When treating major depression with implanted VNS, the widely held belief is that chronic stimulation is required for therapeutic effect. In trials of implantable VNS in major depression, more patients respond at 12 months than at 3 months. Once depressed patients respond to VNS, the effects have been demonstrated to continue for up to five years with continued stimulation. This finding suggests that VNS gradually changes brain function through neuroplasticity.
Number of Participants With Adverse Events	1 Participants

Adverse Events

Intervention Group

Serious events: 0 serious events

Other events: 1 other events

Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Other adverse events
Measure	Intervention Group n=5 participants at risk Treatment effects will be measured using standard rating scales including the HDRS-17, MADRS, SF-36, CSSR-S, CGI-I, CGI-S, which will be completed at each visit. The following scales will be completed at every other visit following the screening visit: Social Anhedonia Scale, the Motivation and Energy Inventory and the Physical Anhedonia Scale. At each study visit safety assessments including vital sign assessment and adverse event assessment will be completed. Subjects will also undergo physical examination and an ECG for safety during screening, after 8 weeks of treatment and at the end of 12 weeks of treatment. gammaCore™: Implantable VNS (iVNS), the electrical stimulation of the nervous system to modulate or modify function, has been FDA approved in the United States since the late 1990s. Implantable VNS therapy has been approved for use in epilepsy and depression. When treating major depression with implanted VNS, the widely held belief is that chronic stimulation is required for therapeutic effect. In trials of implantable VNS in major depression, more patients respond at 12 months than at 3 months. Once depressed patients respond to VNS, the effects have been demonstrated to continue for up to five years with continued stimulation. This finding suggests that VNS gradually changes brain function through neuroplasticity.
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders soreness	20.0% 1/5 • Number of events 1 • Adverse events data was collected over a 6 month period of enrollment.

Additional Information

Samantha White

UAB

Phone: 205-934-1989

Email: [email protected]

Results disclosure agreements

Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
Publication restrictions are in place