Recruiting

ALIC DBS

Sponsor:

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Code:

NCT05160129

Conditions

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Selective focal stimulation of ALIC-pathways

Study Details

Brief summary:

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for people suffering from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) whose symptoms have failed to improve after years and multiple methods of intervention. An effective DBS target for OCD is the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC) brain region. On average 60% of all OCD patients have a clinically significant response to ALIC DBS. However, ALIC DBS may become even more effective with the ability to predict which specific ALIC connections in the brain need to be stimulated for each individual OCD patient. This study therefore investigates personalized stimulation to the ALIC that allows for precise modulation of brain circuits associated with individual OCD symptoms. The study aims to specify the ideal anatomical target for ALIC DBS for maximum therapeutic benefit in each patient.

Conditions

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Study ID

NCT05160129

Start date

Aug 13, 2021

Status verified date

Jun, 2026

Completion date

Feb 28, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Feb 28, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

All participants will receive ALIC DBS for OCD. DBS received a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) in 2009 with an indication for bilateral stimulation of the ALIC as an adjunctive treatment to medications and as an alternative to anterior capsulotomy for treatment of chronic, severe, treatment-refractory OCD in adult patients who have failed at least three SSRIs. Additionally, more stringent criteria have been selected for defining treatment-resistance in this protocol, as indicated below.

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Primary psychiatric diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD, per DSM-5 criteria)
  • Meets FDA Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) criteria for indication
  • Has elected to receive clinically indicated DBS for OCD with a directional system outside of this research study, as determined by treating clinician(s) and per current clinical practice
  • Minimum of a five-year history of treatment-refractory OCD with substantial functional impairment
  • Failure of an adequate trial of at least three of the following SSRIs: Fluoxetine, Fluvoxamine, Citalopram, Escitalopram, Sertraline, Paroxetine
  • Failure of an adequate trial of clomipramine
  • Failure of an adequate trial of one or more of the aforementioned antidepressants in combination with at least one of the following augmentation agents: Haloperidol, Risperidone, Olanzapine, Quetiapine, Ziprasidone, Aripiprazole
  • Failure of an adequate trial of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), defined as 25 hours of documented exposure and response prevention (ERP) by an expert therapist
  • Minimum score of 25 on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) at preoperative baseline
  • Ability to undergo preoperative MRI
  • English proficiency
  • Capacity to provide written informed consent
  • Willing and able to comply with all device operation and study-related procedures

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

  • Ineligible or unwilling to receive ALIC DBS for OCD
  • Contraindications for general anesthesia, neurosurgery, or an MRI scan
  • Neurological disorder or other significant brain pathology, such as moderate / marked cerebral atrophy, stroke, tumor, epilepsy, or previous neurosurgical procedures (excluding cingulotomy, which may be permitted if not contraindicated in the opinion of implanting neurosurgeon)
  • Unstable medical illness, chronic immunosuppression, and/or considerably reduced life-expectancy
  • Conditions requiring anticoagulant therapy which cannot be discontinued for the perioperative period, as required
  • Conditions requiring certain regular MRI scans or diathermy
  • Currently implanted with a cardiac pacemaker / defibrillator or other implanted electrical device which may interfere with DBS stimulator or the function of which may be impacted by its implantation, in the opinion of evaluating neurosurgeon
  • Other primary Axis I disorder or history of psychosis, such as schizophrenia, psychosis in the context of depressive or manic episode.
  • Current or past history within the 6 months prior to DBS implantation of substance abuse or dependence (excluding nicotine and caffeine)
  • Active suicidal ideation with intent, suicide attempt within the last six months, more than three suicide attempts within the last two years, or serious suicide risk as determined by the study psychiatrists
  • Axis II disorders which, in the opinion of the study psychiatrist, may increases the risk of DBS to participants or cause study non-compliance
  • Patients who lack the capacity to for proper device usage and maintenance, in the opinion of the research team
  • Women who are pregnant

Study Design

Enrollment

22 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Circuit-selective DBS

People suffering from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Interventions

Selective focal stimulation of ALIC-pathways

DBS will be applied selectively to different electrode contacts/ segments to evaluate clinical, behavioral, and electrocortical responses of specific pathways within the ALIC.

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) [ Time Frame: Pre-surgical baseline, monthly up to 12 months postoperative ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Locations

Mount Sinai West

Recruiting

New York, New York, United States, 10019

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Martijn Figee

More Information

Sponsor

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Last update posted

Jun 25, 2026

Last verified

Jun, 2026

Keywords

  • Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Anterior Limb of Internal Capsule (ALIC)
  • Circuit Modulation

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai on 2026-06-25.