Individualized Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation in Opioid Use Disorder

NCT ID: NCT07214467

Last Updated: 2025-10-28

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

6 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-10-24

Study Completion Date

2031-11-22

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to determine if personalized (adaptive) Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) based upon invasive brain mapping is safe and can lead to better outcomes like reductions in craving and opioid use.

Detailed Description

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This study will enroll individuals with severe Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) who have not responded to standard treatments. The devices used in this study are investigational, which means they are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat OUD. The information we obtain in this study will be used to better understand the mechanisms of OUD in the brain.

Conditions

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Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

This is a randomized, double-blind, sham controlled Latin square design, followed by open label follow up period pilot trial.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Investigators Outcome Assessors
All study participants and study personnel involved in clinical outcomes collection and analysis will be blinded. Study personnel overseeing participant safety, randomization, and DBS optimization will not be blinded and will not be involved in assessing the clinical outcome measures.

Study Groups

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aDBS / cDBS / sham Stimulation

Participants in this group will first receive adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS), followed by continuous deep brain stimulation (cDBS), and finally a sham stimulation. Each period of the randomized controlled trial (aDBS, cDBS, and sham) will last 4 months.

Group Type OTHER

Deep Brain Stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

An individualized aDBS protocol will be used to examine therapeutic effect.

sham / aDBS / cDBS

Participants in this group will first receive sham stimulation, followed by adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS), and finally continuous deep brain stimulation (cDBS). Each period of the randomized controlled trial (aDBS, cDBS, and sham) will last 4 months.

Group Type OTHER

Deep Brain Stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

An individualized aDBS protocol will be used to examine therapeutic effect.

cDBS / sham / aDBS

Participants in this group will first receive continuous deep brain stimulation (cDBS), followed by sham stimulation, and finally adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS). Each period of the randomized controlled trial (aDBS, cDBS, and sham) will last 4 months.

Group Type OTHER

Deep Brain Stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

An individualized aDBS protocol will be used to examine therapeutic effect.

Interventions

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Deep Brain Stimulation

An individualized aDBS protocol will be used to examine therapeutic effect.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

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DBS

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Adults (all genders) 22 to 75 years old.
* Current diagnosis of severe primary opioid use disorder (OUD) (\>= 6 on DSM-5 OUD criteria) (any form of opioid use).
* History of opioid use for more than 5 years.
* Participants are seeking treatment for their OUD.
* Participants have insight into their opioid use disorder (score \> 26 on the recognition subscale of the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES V.8))
* OUD is treatment refractory: unable to achieve sustained remission over the past 5 years, despite at least three treatment attempts (outpatient, residential, inpatient), with at least one treatment attempt involving taking a first-line medication for OUD (MOUD) such as buprenorphine, methadone, or extended-release naltrexone. Treatment failure is defined as continued opioid use or relapse during or after completion of treatment. Sustained remission is defined per DSM-5 as not meeting any OUD criteria except craving for \> 12 months. Documented adherence: participants must have documented adherence to the failed first-line MOUD for at least 8 weeks (PMID: 29083570).
* Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study.
* Social support system and stable living arrangement to provide assurances that the subject will adhere to study requirements: family or friends who live with or near the subject, and can provide collateral information, monitor the subject's behavior, support, and encourage the subject to participate in follow-up visits and evaluations.
* For individuals of reproductive potential: use of highly effective contraception for at least 4 weeks prior to sEEG surgery and agreement to use such a method during study participation.

Exclusion Criteria

* Pregnancy or lactation.
* Non-English speaking.
* Participants are not willing to start MOUD treatment with buprenorphine or to switch MOUD to buprenorphine if they are already on other MOUD, for the duration of the study.
* OUD treatment with another investigational drug or other intervention within 3 months.
* History of primary psychosis or Bipolar I disorder per the medical interview.
* History of severe personality disorder that could interfere with study participation (e.g., antisocial personality disorder) per the medical interview.
* History of traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness greater than 5 minutes.
* Clinically significant cognitive impairment per neuropsychological testing.
* History of suicidal attempts in the past 3 years or current suicidal thoughts per psychiatric evaluation.
* Coagulopathy: INR \> 1.4, aPTT \> 40 s, platelets \< 100,000.
* Current clinically significant medical or neurologic disease that affects brain function (e.g., recent stroke, myocardial infarction, seizures not due to alcohol withdrawal).
* Clinically significant abnormality on structural brain MRI scan.
* Life expectancy less than 24 months per the clinical judgment of study investigators (e.g., terminal cancers).
* Any labeled DBS contraindication or inability to have brain MRI: certain pacemakers, metal in body, inability to undergo awake operation, significant cardiac or other medical risk factors for surgery, infection, and coagulopathy.
* Exclusion for early remission: participants who achieve early remission after initiating buprenorphine during the screening phase (prior to the sEEG phase) will be excluded from the study.
Minimum Eligible Age

22 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

75 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of California, San Francisco

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Khaled Moussawi, MD, PhD

Associate Professor in Residence

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Khaled Moussawi, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of California, San Francisco

Locations

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University of California, San Francisco

San Francisco, California, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Catherine Borror, BS

Role: CONTACT

415-514-6551

Sierra Brandts, BS

Role: CONTACT

415-514-6551

Facility Contacts

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Catherine Borror, BS

Role: primary

415-514-6551

Sierra Brandts, BS

Role: backup

415-514-6551

References

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Zhou H, Xu J, Jiang J. Deep brain stimulation of nucleus accumbens on heroin-seeking behaviors: a case report. Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Jun 1;69(11):e41-2. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.02.012. Epub 2011 Apr 13. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21489407 (View on PubMed)

Chen L, Li N, Ge S, Lozano AM, Lee DJ, Yang C, Li L, Bai Q, Lu H, Wang J, Wang X, Li J, Jing J, Su M, Wei L, Wang X, Gao G. Long-term results after deep brain stimulation of nucleus accumbens and the anterior limb of the internal capsule for preventing heroin relapse: An open-label pilot study. Brain Stimul. 2019 Jan-Feb;12(1):175-183. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2018.09.006. Epub 2018 Sep 14.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30245163 (View on PubMed)

Rezai AR, Mahoney JJ, Ranjan M, Haut MW, Zheng W, Lander LR, Berry JH, Farmer DL, Marton JL, Tirumalai P, Mears A, Thompson-Lake DGY, Finomore VS, D'Haese PF, Aklin WM, George DT, Corrigan JD, Hodder SL. Safety and feasibility clinical trial of nucleus accumbens deep brain stimulation for treatment-refractory opioid use disorder. J Neurosurg. 2023 Jun 9;140(1):231-239. doi: 10.3171/2023.4.JNS23114. Print 2024 Jan 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 37329519 (View on PubMed)

Kuhn J, Moller M, Treppmann JF, Bartsch C, Lenartz D, Gruendler TO, Maarouf M, Brosig A, Barnikol UB, Klosterkotter J, Sturm V. Deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens and its usefulness in severe opioid addiction. Mol Psychiatry. 2014 Feb;19(2):145-6. doi: 10.1038/mp.2012.196. Epub 2013 Jan 22. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23337942 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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25-43357

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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