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Brain pacemaker tested for opioid addiction that Won't quit

NCT ID NCT04354077

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 01, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This pilot study tests whether deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus accumbens can help people with opioid use disorder who keep relapsing despite standard treatments. Only 3 participants will receive the implanted device. The main goal is to see if it is safe and whether it can help them stop using opioids.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
deep brain stimulation device
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a new treatment option for people with severe opioid addiction that hasn't responded to other therapies.
What could go wrong
This is a very early, tiny pilot study with only 3 people. It is designed mainly to check safety, not effectiveness. Brain surgery carries serious risks like infection or bleeding.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 3 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Feb 2022

Expected to finish

Jan 2030

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

22 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion criteria 1. Male and females age ≥ 22 years with diagnosis of opioid use disorder (OUD) based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) with at least a 5-year history 2. OUD must be the primary disorder 3. History of ongoing or previous opioid use, relapse, and/or cravings, despite attempts at, or attendance in, at least two different treatment modalities. These modalities may include: Comprehensive Opioid Addiction Treatment (COAT), intensive outpatient COAT, residential treatment, inpatient treatment, alternative to intensive outpatient programs, Drug Dependence Unit programs, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), medication assisted recovery (MAR), inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation, detox programs, Narcotics Anonymous, individual or group therapy, Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP), Sober living homes, or similar interventions. 4. Self-reports ongoing opioid cravings. 5. Has completed a neuro-psychological evaluation to the satisfaction of a neuropsychologist 6. Has completed a psychiatric evaluation to the satisfaction of a psychiatrist 7. Has had a brain MRI performed and reviewed by neurosurgeon with no contraindication for DBS procedure identified 8. Platelet count \> 125,000 per cubic mm and prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) within normal limits 9. Negative blood cultures to rule out bacteremia Exclusion criteria 1. Prior brain surgery contraindicating Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery, including procedures that required a craniotomy (e.g., brain tumor removal, trauma or pressure relief, hemorrhage, or clot evacuation). Patients with other brain surgery history will be considered and approved at the discretion of the Principal Investigator (PI). 2. Baseline assessment on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) of greater than 17 or moderate risk of suicide based upon a score of 3 or greater on the Columbia Suicide Severity Scale, unless clinical judgment indicates that the individual is appropriate for inclusion despite these scores. 3. History of uncontrolled or persistent seizures 4. Suspected dementia based on neuropsychological screening or Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) Score \< 25 5. Contraindications for MRI: 1. Presence of implanted electrical stimulation device or other implanted metal devices (excluding dental braces). 2. Claustrophobia 3. Body weight exceeding limit of the machine (180 kg/400 lb) 6. Females who are pregnant or nursing. Female subjects of child-bearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test during the pre-op phase and must agree to utilize adequate birth control throughout the trial and for at least 30 days following trial completion. 7. Coagulopathy secondary to chronic need for anticoagulation medicine (e.g. warfarin) or anti-platelet medication (e.g. aspirin or clopidogrel) 8. Diagnosis of neurological disorders (e.g. multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and stroke) 9. Severe brain atrophy or presence of subdural hygromas or subdural hematomas on brain MRI 10. Any evidence of underlying endocarditis. 11. Primary language other than English 12. Have any other medical condition that, in the opinion of the Investigator, makes the subject unsuitable for enrollment.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Behavior, Addictive opiate dependence

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • AHN Allegheny General Hospital

    RECRUITING

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15212, United States

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