NCT07221539

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to see if mental functions take place during different levels of anesthesia using two commonly used drug (propofol and dexmedetomidine) and will include low-intensity focused ultrasound pulsation (LIFUP) to stimulate specific areas of the brain while undergoing functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI or "brain imaging"), which shows areas in the brain involved in thinking at different depths of anesthesia. That is, ultrasound is being used to stimulate the brain and multiple pictures will be taken of the brain. As a result of this study, we expect to gain a deeper understanding of mental function during different levels of anesthesia, and to evaluate if the use of ultrasonic brain stimulation accelerates return to consciousness.

Trial Health

77
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
168

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
53mo left

Started Oct 2025

Longer than P75 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress11%
Oct 2025Oct 2030

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

October 24, 2025

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

October 24, 2025

Completed
4 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

October 28, 2025

Completed
4.8 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

September 1, 2030

Expected
1 month until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

October 1, 2030

Last Updated

October 28, 2025

Status Verified

October 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

4.9 years

First QC Date

October 24, 2025

Last Update Submit

October 24, 2025

Conditions

Keywords

AnesthesiaPropofolDexmedetomidinefMRIultrasoundHealthy Volunteers

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Functional connectivity (e.g., Pearson correlation coefficient) of Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) time courses

    Up to 90 minutes

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Grip force (in mmHg) of participants' hand squeezing on a rubber ball in response to instructions

    Up to 90 minutes

Study Arms (6)

Propofol & Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) pulsation

EXPERIMENTAL
Procedure: Propofol for fMRIDevice: Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) pulsation

Propofol & Anterior insular cortex (AIC) pulsation

EXPERIMENTAL

Propofol & Central thalamus (CT) pulsation

EXPERIMENTAL
Procedure: Propofol for fMRIDevice: Central thalamus (CT) pulsation

Dexmedetomidine & DLPFC pulsation

EXPERIMENTAL
Procedure: Dexmedetomidine for fMRIDevice: Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) pulsation

Dexmedetomidine & AIC pulsation

EXPERIMENTAL
Procedure: Dexmedetomidine for fMRIDevice: Anterior insular cortex (AIC) pulsation

Dexmedetomidine & CT pulsation

EXPERIMENTAL
Procedure: Dexmedetomidine for fMRIDevice: Central thalamus (CT) pulsation

Interventions

Propofol infusion

Propofol & Central thalamus (CT) pulsationPropofol & Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) pulsation

Dexmedetomidine infusion

Dexmedetomidine & AIC pulsationDexmedetomidine & CT pulsationDexmedetomidine & DLPFC pulsation

BXPulsar 1002 low-intensity focused ultrasound pulsation (LIFUP) on the DFPFC

Dexmedetomidine & DLPFC pulsationPropofol & Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) pulsation

BXPulsar 1002 LIFUP to AIC

Dexmedetomidine & AIC pulsation

BXPulsar 1002 LIFUP to CT

Dexmedetomidine & CT pulsationPropofol & Central thalamus (CT) pulsation

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 40 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

  • Healthy study participants with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Classification System-1 status
  • The participants will be right-handed adults
  • Body mass index (BMI) less than 30.
  • All subjects will be English speakers.

You may not qualify if:

  • Medical contraindication to MRI scanning; are unable to undergo MRI scanning because of possible pregnancy or currently breastfeeding,
  • BMI\>30,
  • metallic substances in the body, claustrophobia, anxiety, or cardiopulmonary disease; or have an intracranial structural abnormality on T1-weighted MRI scans.
  • History of allergy to propofol, dexmedetomidine, any components of propofol or dexmedetomidine, eggs or egg products, soybean or soybean products,
  • Neurological, cardiovascular, or pulmonary illness;
  • Significant head injury with loss of consciousness;
  • Learning disability or other developmental disorder; sleep apnea or any severe snoring history; gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or heartburn; pancreatitis or a history of pancreatitis, or sensory/motor loss sufficient to interfere with performance of the study; epilepsy/seizure disorder (including a history of seizures) or stroke (including a history of stroke).
  • Participants with tattoos in the head or neck region will be excluded from study; other tattoos are subject to determination by investigators based on their assessment regarding participant safety.
  • Recent food or liquid intake (within 8 hours).
  • History of drug use, have a positive drug screen, are unwilling to abstain from alcohol for 24 hours prior to dosing, or have a current history of nicotine use. -----Negative pregnancy test result, if applicable.
  • Potential participants who have participated in a clinical trial using an investigational drug or device within 30 days will be considered for enrollment after 30 days.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Interventions

PropofolDexmedetomidine

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

PhenolsBenzene DerivativesHydrocarbons, AromaticHydrocarbons, CyclicHydrocarbonsOrganic ChemicalsImidazolesAzolesHeterocyclic Compounds, 1-RingHeterocyclic Compounds

Study Officials

  • Zirui Huang

    University of Michigan

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
  • Anthony Hudetz

    University of Michigan

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
BASIC SCIENCE
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Research Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Co-Director, Center for Consciousness Science

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

October 24, 2025

First Posted

October 28, 2025

Study Start

October 24, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2030

Last Updated

October 28, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-10

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations