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DepressionPhase 1NCT01335217

Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Depression

A Phase 1 study testing Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator (TENS) in people with Depression and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This is a 20-subject, dose finding study to examine the use of external trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) as an adjunctive treatment for adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) co- occurring with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when added onto antidepressant medications. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 75 years
Conditions the study is for
Depression, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
What is being tested?
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator (TENS)
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
20 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jan 2011to Jan 2012
Phase
Phase 1
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 75 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Outpatients with non-psychotic, unipolar Major Depressive Disorder AND Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, assessed via the MINI structured interview
  • A score of ≥ 14 on the HAM-D17 with Item 1 (depressed mood) ≥ 2
  • A score of ≥ 50 on the CAPS (Clinical-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-IV)
  • A history of treatment failure with at least one adequate trial of an antidepressant over the previous 6 weeks, with no change in antidepressant medication or dose within the previous 6 weeks, and ongoing use of at least one antidepressant (which will continue during participation in the study)
  • Age range: 18 to 75. 6) Patients with suicidal ideation are eligible only if the thoughts of death or of life not being worth living are not accompanied by a plan or intention for self-harm.

Who cannot join

  • Patient is mentally or legally incapacitated, unable to give informed consent.
  • Patients with psychosis (psychotic depression, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective diagnoses (lifetime)); bipolar disorder (lifetime); dementia (lifetime); delirium or any substance abuse disorder within the past 6 months; eating disorder within the past year; obsessive- compulsive disorder (lifetime); acute risk for suicide or self-injurious behavior. Patients with diagnostic uncertainty or ambiguity (e.g. rule-out pseudodementia of depression) will be excluded.
  • Patients with exposure to ECT or VNS within the past 6 months.
  • Past history of skull fracture; cranial surgery entering the calvarium; space occupying intracranial lesion; stroke, CVA, or TIAs; cerebral aneurysm; Parkinson's or Huntington's disease; or Multiple Sclerosis.
  • current pregnancy, breast feeding, plans to become pregnant in the 12-week treatment phase of the study, or not using a medically accepted means of contraception.
  • Other medical contraindications to any of the study procedures

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA

    Los Angeles, California, 90024

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for PTSD and Depression

This is a 20-subject, dose finding study to examine the use of external trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) as an adjunctive treatment for adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) co- occurring with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when added onto antidepressant medications. Our primary objective is the examination of TNS in this patient population.

To accomplish our specific aims, the investigators will test the following specific hypotheses:

  1. Subjects will show improvement in ratings of mood, PTSD, and other symptoms during the eight-week period.
  2. Subjects will show improvement in ratings of life functional capacity and quality of life with TNS.
  3. Subjects will report the TNS treatments to be acceptable in terms of side effects and burden of using the device.
Read the detailed description

A total of 20 subjects with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) co-occurring with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), ages 18 to 75 years, will be consented and join this project at UCLA.

The project will use TNS in under open-label conditions, using the same stimulation parameters as have been used in prior studies in MDD by itself and in treatment-refractory epilepsy. Subjects will be seen every two weeks during the 8 week study. At the end of the 8 weeks, the TNS systems will be returned and the adjunctive treatment will end. The co-primary endpoints are the changes in depression severity and in PTSD severity from enrollment to the week 8 visit.

Being tested
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator (TENS)
Keywords
Depression, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Medical subject headings
Depression, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Depressive Disorder, Major

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator (TENS)Procedure or surgery

    External trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) as an adjunctive treatment for adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) co- occurring with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when added onto antidepressant medications

Study groups in NCT01335217
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Open-label TNS treatmentOtherThere is only one arm in this open label treatment of MDD co-occuring with PTSD.
Receives: Procedure: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator (TENS)

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 Item

    Measured: Baseline, week 8

  2. Change in PTSD Checklist score

    Measured: Baseline, Week 8

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Change in life functional capacity and quality of life scales

    Life functional capacity and quality of life scales include: Short-form Health Survey-36 Item and Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire

    Measured: baseline, week 8

  2. Changes in vital signs recordings

    Autonomic function (i.e. pulse and blood pressure) are monitored for 30 mins of stimulation at baseline. Resting vital signs are recorded for each visit.

    Measured: At every visit for 8 weeks

  3. Changes in Safety Assessment Measures

    Safety Assessment measures will be administered at each visit and include: Survey of Acceptability of TNS, Systematic Assessment for Treatment Emergent Events-Systematic Inquiry (SAFTEE-SI), and Frequency, Intensity, and Burden of Side Effects Scale (FIBSER)

    Measured: At every visit for 8 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted14 Apr 2011 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 2011
  3. Primary completionJan 2012
  4. Study completionJan 2012

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
20 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01335217
Sponsor's protocol ID
10-000894
Other IDs
10-000894
Status last verified
Feb 2013
First submitted
5 Apr 2011
Last updated
6 Feb 2013
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 1 study testing Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator (TENS) in people with Depression and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Feb 2013. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 Item (time frame: Baseline, week 8). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Feb 2013.

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