Brain pacemaker tested for opioid addiction that Won't quit
NCT ID NCT04354077
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
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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
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About 3 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2022
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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22 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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.
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.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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AHN Allegheny General Hospital
RECRUITINGPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15212, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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