Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment Resistant Depression

NCT00367003 | Active Not Recruiting Results DMC FDA Device

• 1 other identifier: IRB00024883
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 37
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to test the safety, efficacy and mechanism of action of subgenual cingulate (Cg25) deep brain stimulation (DBS) for major depression in patients who have not responded to prior antidepressant treatments. Participation in the study will continue for ten years or until the device receives FDA approval for depression. Forty (40) patients will be enrolled in this study.

Conditions

Major Depressive Disorder

Keywords

Depression, Unipolar, Bipolar-II, DBS, Imaging

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 Score

  The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) contains 17 items that are scored from 0 to 2, 3, or 4, where 0 is lack of difficulty and the highest number for an item is the most extreme difficulty. Total scores range from 0 to 53 and higher scores indicate greater depression. For this study, a response to treatment will be defined as a decrease in the HDRS-17 score of 50% or greater from the average pre-surgical baseline.

  Baseline, Week 24 post-intervention

Study Arms (1)

Deep Brain Stimulation

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants with treatment resistant depression will have a device implanted for deep brain stimulation.

Device: Deep Brain Stimulation

Interventions

Deep Brain Stimulation DEVICE

The deep brain stimulation system (consisting of a lead, extension wire, and implanted pulse generator) will be surgically implanted to stimulate the targeted area of the brain. Stimulation will be turned off for 4 weeks following implantation, then participants will use brain stimulation for 6 months. Participants will also take part in Behavioral Activation therapy during the 6 months of active stimulation. Participants will be followed for 10 years, or until the DBS device has been FDA approved, with adjustments made to the stimulator and medications as necessary.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 70 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Ability to provide written informed consent.
• Current Major Depressive Episode (MDE), secondary to either Major Depressive Disorder or Bipolar Disorder (I, II or NOS), diagnosed by structured clinical interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-text revision (DSM-IV-TR).
• Current MDE at least two years duration OR a history of more than 4 lifetime depressive episodes.
• Minimum score at study entry of 20 on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17).
• Average pre-operative HDRS-17 score of 20 or greater (averaged over four weekly pre-surgical evaluations during the four weeks prior to surgery) and an average pre-operative HDRS-17 score no more than 30% lower than the baseline screening HDRS-17 score.
• A maximum Global Assessment of Functioning of 50.
• Treatment-resistant depression defined as:
• Failure to respond to a minimum of four different antidepressant treatments, including at least three medications from at least three different classes, evidence-based psychotherapy or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) administered at adequate doses and duration during the current episode.
• Failure or intolerance of an adequate course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) during any episode (confirmed by medical records), or refusal of ECT due to a reason considered to be valid by the study psychiatrist.
• A patient may remain on psychotropic medications during this study. However, doses must remain stable during the 4 weeks prior to surgery, the four weeks post-operatively, and the 24 weeks open stimulation phase. Medications will be changed only if intolerable side effects clearly attributable to the medications develop.
• All patients must have an established outpatient psychiatrist and be willing to sign a written release to allow study investigators to give and receive information from this psychiatrist.

You may not qualify if:

• Inability to tolerate general anesthesia.
• Significant cerebrovascular risk factors or a previous stroke, documented major head trauma or neurodegenerative disorder.
• Other currently active clinically significant Axis I psychiatric diagnosis including schizophrenia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder. Patients with severe Axis II personality disorders will also be excluded if the personality disorder is likely to interfere with cooperation and adherence to the study protocol.
• Current psychotic symptoms.
• Evidence of global cognitive impairment.
• Substance abuse or dependence not in full sustained remission (i.e., not active for at least one year).
• Active suicidal ideation with intent; suicide attempt within the last six months; more than three suicide attempts within the last two years.
• Pregnancy or plan to become pregnant during the study period.
• General contraindications for DBS surgery (cardiac pacemaker/defibrillator or other implanted devices).
• Inability or unwillingness to comply with long-term follow-up.
• History of intolerance to neural stimulation of any area of the body.
• Participation in another drug, device or biologics trial within the preceding 30 days.
• Conditions requiring repeated MRI scans.
• Conditions requiring diathermy.
• Conditions requiring anticoagulant medication.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Emory University: lead
• The Dana Foundation: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Emory University School of Medicine

Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States

Location

Related Publications (11)

• Mayberg HS, Lozano AM, Voon V, McNeely HE, Seminowicz D, Hamani C, Schwalb JM, Kennedy SH. Deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression. Neuron. 2005 Mar 3;45(5):651-60. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2005.02.014.

  PMID: 15748841 BACKGROUND

• Riva-Posse P, Crowell AL, Wright K, Waters AC, Choi K, Garlow SJ, Holtzheimer PE, Gross RE, Mayberg HS. Rapid Antidepressant Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation and Their Relation to Surgical Protocol. Biol Psychiatry. 2020 Oct 15;88(8):e37-e39. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.03.017. Epub 2020 May 14. No abstract available.

  PMID: 32418613 BACKGROUND

• Crowell AL, Riva-Posse P, Holtzheimer PE, Garlow SJ, Kelley ME, Gross RE, Denison L, Quinn S, Mayberg HS. Long-Term Outcomes of Subcallosal Cingulate Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression. Am J Psychiatry. 2019 Nov 1;176(11):949-956. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.18121427. Epub 2019 Oct 4.

  PMID: 31581800 RESULT

• Riva-Posse P, Choi KS, Holtzheimer PE, Crowell AL, Garlow SJ, Rajendra JK, McIntyre CC, Gross RE, Mayberg HS. A connectomic approach for subcallosal cingulate deep brain stimulation surgery: prospective targeting in treatment-resistant depression. Mol Psychiatry. 2018 Apr;23(4):843-849. doi: 10.1038/mp.2017.59. Epub 2017 Apr 11.

  PMID: 28397839 RESULT

• Holtzheimer PE, Kelley ME, Gross RE, Filkowski MM, Garlow SJ, Barrocas A, Wint D, Craighead MC, Kozarsky J, Chismar R, Moreines JL, Mewes K, Posse PR, Gutman DA, Mayberg HS. Subcallosal cingulate deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant unipolar and bipolar depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2012 Feb;69(2):150-8. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.1456. Epub 2012 Jan 2.

  PMID: 22213770 RESULT

• Riva-Posse P, Choi KS, Holtzheimer PE, McIntyre CC, Gross RE, Chaturvedi A, Crowell AL, Garlow SJ, Rajendra JK, Mayberg HS. Defining critical white matter pathways mediating successful subcallosal cingulate deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression. Biol Psychiatry. 2014 Dec 15;76(12):963-9. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.03.029. Epub 2014 Apr 13.

  PMID: 24832866 RESULT

• Filkowski MM, Mayberg HS, Holtzheimer PE. Considering Eligibility for Studies of Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression: Insights From a Clinical Trial in Unipolar and Bipolar Depression. J ECT. 2016 Jun;32(2):122-6. doi: 10.1097/YCT.0000000000000281.

  PMID: 26479487 DERIVED

• Riva-Posse P, Holtzheimer PE, Garlow SJ, Mayberg HS. Practical considerations in the development and refinement of subcallosal cingulate white matter deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression. World Neurosurg. 2013 Sep-Oct;80(3-4):S27.e25-34. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2012.11.074. Epub 2012 Dec 13.

  PMID: 23246630 DERIVED

• Fisher CE, Dunn LB, Christopher PP, Holtzheimer PE, Leykin Y, Mayberg HS, Lisanby SH, Appelbaum PS. The ethics of research on deep brain stimulation for depression: decisional capacity and therapeutic misconception. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012 Aug;1265:69-79. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06596.x. Epub 2012 Jul 19.

  PMID: 22812719 DERIVED

• Christopher PP, Leykin Y, Appelbaum PS, Holtzheimer PE 3rd, Mayberg HS, Dunn LB. Enrolling in deep brain stimulation research for depression: influences on potential subjects' decision making. Depress Anxiety. 2012 Feb;29(2):139-46. doi: 10.1002/da.20916. Epub 2011 Nov 17.

  PMID: 22095837 DERIVED

• Holtzheimer PE 3rd, Mayberg HS. Deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression. Am J Psychiatry. 2010 Dec;167(12):1437-44. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.10010141. No abstract available.

  PMID: 21131410 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depressive Disorder, Major; Depression

Interventions

Deep Brain Stimulation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Depressive Disorder; Mood Disorders; Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Electric Stimulation Therapy; Therapeutics; Surgical Procedures, Operative

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Patricio Riva Posse
• Organization: Emory University

privapo@emory.edu

Study Officials

• Patricio Riva Posse, MD

  Emory University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 18, 2006
• First Posted: August 22, 2006
• Study Start: September 1, 2006
• Primary Completion: January 2, 2014
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2029
• Last Updated: May 6, 2025
• Results First Posted: July 14, 2020

Record last verified: 2025-05

Locations

US (1)