Efficacy and Mechanism of Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation (tTIS) for Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

NCT07805200 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: ThuPsy-202608
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 80
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Targeted temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) may modulate the abnormal electrophysiological activity in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), thereby improving their obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

Conditions

Obsessive - Compulsive Disorder

Keywords

Transcranial temporal interference stimulation; Mental Disorders

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Obsessive-compulsive symptoms

  Obsessive-compulsive symptom severity will be assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). The Y-BOCS total score ranges from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity.

  Baseline, immediately after completion of the 5-day intervention (Day 5), and at 1-week, 1-month, and 3-month follow-up

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Self-reported obsessive-compulsive symptoms

  Baseline, immediately after completion of the 5-day intervention (Day 5), and at 1-week, 1-month, and 3-month follow-up

• Multimodal MRI measures

  Baseline, after completion of 5-day intervention

• Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) measures

  Baseline, after completion of 5-day intervention

• Behavioral task performance

  Baseline, after completion of the 5-day intervention

Study Arms (2)

Nucleus accumbens group (tTIS)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to the active tTIS group will receive temporal interference stimulation targeting the right nucleus accumbens (NAc). Individualized electrode configurations will be determined based on each participant's structural MRI. Two high-frequency alternating currents at 2000 Hz and 2130 Hz will be applied, with a peak current intensity of up to 2 mA for each stimulation channel. Each stimulation session will last 30 minutes and will include a 30-second linear ramp-up at the beginning and a 30-second linear ramp-down at the end. Electrode impedance will be maintained below 8 kΩ. Stimulation will be administered twice daily for 5 consecutive days, with an interval of approximately 90-120 minutes between the two daily sessions.

Device: Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation

Control Group

SHAM COMPARATOR

Participants assigned to the sham control group will undergo the same procedures and stimulation settings as those in the active tTIS group, including electrode placement, stimulation frequencies, nominal current intensity, ramp-up and ramp-down phases, session duration, and treatment schedule. However, no therapeutic stimulation current will be delivered.

Device: Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation

Interventions

Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation DEVICE

Transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) is a novel neurostimulation technique that utilizes two or more electric fields of specific frequencies to modulate the oscillations of neurons at the desired spatial location in the brain. The physics of tTIS offers the advantage of noninvasively regulating deep brain structures and minimally stimulating the overlying cortex outside the selected target.

Also known as: tTIS

Control Group; Nucleus accumbens group (tTIS)

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Were between 18 and 65 years old;
• Were diagnosed with OCD by an experienced psychiatrist utilizing the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID);
• Were able to participate in the entire trial and face-to-face on-site assessment

You may not qualify if:

• Pregnant or breastfeeding;
• Suffered from organic brain diseases or severe physical illness;
• Had a history of substance or alcohol abuse;
• Presence of comorbid psychiatric disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder) or a high risk of suicide;
• Have received electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, tDCS, tACS, or other neurostimulation treatments within the past 6 months;
• Presence of contraindications to MRI or tTIS, such as severe head trauma, prior brain surgery, intracranial or cardiac metallic implants, etc.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital: lead
• Tsinghua University: collaborator
• The First People's Hospital of Hefei: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

The Fourth People's Hospital of Anhui Province

Hefei, Anhui, 230000, China

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Compulsive Personality Disorder; Mental Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personality Disorders

Central Study Contacts

Xiang-yang Zhang

CONTACT

18513299860; zhangxy99@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 1, 2026
• First Posted: September 4, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): October 16, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027
• Last Updated: September 4, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

CN (1)