Brain pacemaker offers hope for severe OCD
NCT ID NCT02773082
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a device called Reclaim DBS, which uses electrical pulses to target brain areas linked to OCD. It's for adults with severe, treatment-resistant OCD who have tried at least three medications and therapy. The goal is to see if it safely reduces obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
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 successful, this could offer a new, reversible option for people with severe OCD who haven't responded to other treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with only 50 participants. Risks include infection, bleeding, and that the device may not work for everyone.
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 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2024
- 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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18 years and older
- 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: * Have a diagnosis of OCD with a documented duration of at least 5 years * Have OCD rated as severe or extreme illness * Have failed to improve following treatment with at least 3 selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and clomipramine * Do not have hoarding as their primary subclassification * Have completed or tried to complete Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP) * Have no serious psychiatric disorder in addition to OCD (e.g. comorbid personality disorder) or current substance abuse issues * Meet established criteria for implantation of a deep brain stimulation system * Are 18 years old or older * Have not had a previous surgery to destroy the region of the brain that will be the target of stimulation * Are not pregnant * Have no other neurological disorders, including dementia * Do not have a bleeding disorder or are not taking blood thinners * Are capable of giving informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who are unable to properly operate the neurostimulator * Patients who will be exposed to diathermy
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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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Zucker Hillside Hospital
RECRUITINGQueens, New York, 11004, United States
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