Home/Get Matched/NCT06278909
NARECRUITING
View on ClinicalTrials.gov

Testing Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for generalized anxiety disorder

Official title: Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation in Treatment-resistant Generalized Anxiety Disorder: a Feasibility Study

Condition: Generalized Anxiety DisorderSponsor: Dr. Rafael FreireTarget enrollment: 10

Interventions

DEVICE

Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation

Active trigeminal nerve stimulation

Canadian Sites (1)

Kingston Health Sciences Centre

Kingston, Ontario, Canada

RECRUITING

Eligibility Criteria

See who this study is looking for12 criteria

The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.

Inclusion

  • +Meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM5) criteria for generalized anxiety disorder.
  • +Subjects on a stable dose of an selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) for at least 8 weeks.
  • +Treatment-resistant - treatment resistance will be defined as lack of response to at least two drugs, from two different classes of drugs considered first-line or second-line for GAD. Only trials lasting at least 8 weeks, and with at least the minimum effective dose of the given medication will be considered failed trials.

Exclusion

  • Moderate to severe major depressive disorder
  • Moderate to high suicidality
  • Diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, personality disorders, substance use disorders, intellectual disabilities and dementia or other neurological diseases including trigeminal neuralgia
  • Participants who are experiencing seizures
  • Implanted vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) or other electrical devices
  • Participants who are already undergoing transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
  • Consumption of cannabis, any cannabis by-products, illicit drugs, or alcohol above 3 drinks per week
  • Consumption of natural health products that may affect anxiety or depression symptoms
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women
5 concepts to explore on this page · up to 1,300 pointsTap any term to learn what it means.

In plain language

Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.

Learning 
What this study is

This study is testing a treatment for a condition.

This study is not organised into the usual phase numbers — that is common for device, behavioural, and diagnostic research.

What is being given or done in this study: Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation.

From the trial registry

Built from these fields:

  • designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
  • designModule.phases
  • armsInterventionsModule.interventions[].name
How the study is run

There is only one group in this study, so there is no assignment to different treatments.

This study is open-labelOpen-labelEveryone knows which treatment is being given — nothing is hidden.Read more →: everyone knows which treatment is being given, including you and the study team.

From the trial registry

Built from these fields:

  • designModule.designInfo.allocation
  • designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?

This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.

There is one group in this study.

From the trial registry

Built from this field:

  • armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Who the study is looking for

The study lists an age range of 18 years to 65 years.

The study is open to people of any sex.

The study does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.

These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.

From the trial registry

Built from these fields:

  • eligibilityModule.minimumAge
  • eligibilityModule.maximumAge
  • eligibilityModule.sex
  • eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long

The study aims to enrol about 10 people.

The study is currently expected to finish around April 2026.

The main measurement is taken over: Throughout the study, 8 weeks.

From the trial registry

Built from these fields:

  • designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
  • statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
  • outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures

Incidence of treatment-emergent adverse eventsAdverse eventAny medical problem that happens during a study, whether or not the treatment caused it.Read more → — measured over Throughout the study, 8 weeks.

Incidence of treatment-emergent side effectsSide effectAn unwanted effect thought to be caused by the treatment itself.Read more → measured with the NSEC — measured over Baseline visitBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more →, 4-week visit and 8-week visit.

Response to treatment defined by CGI-I score below 3 — measured over 4-week visit and 8-week visit.

From the trial registry

Built from these fields:

  • outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
  • outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame

Source: NCT06278909 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.

Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?

What is being tested — in plain terms

About Trigeminal Nerve StimulationDevice

Active trigeminal nerve stimulation

From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.

What a device is here: A physical instrument, implant, app or piece of equipment being studied.

Read the full explanation → · in clinical review

Common questions

Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.

Am I eligible for this trial?

Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.

What the study lists: an age range of 18 years to 65 years.

The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.

The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.

From the trial registry
  • eligibilityModule.minimumAge
  • eligibilityModule.maximumAge
  • eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?

This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.

From the trial registry
  • armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?

This study is open-labelOpen-labelEveryone knows which treatment is being given — nothing is hidden.Read more →: everyone knows which treatment is being given, including you and the study team.

There is only one group in this study, so there is no assignment to different treatments.

From the trial registry
  • designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
  • designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?

The study lists an age range of 18 years to 65 years.

It is open to people of any sex.

It does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.

Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.

From the trial registry
  • eligibilityModule.minimumAge
  • eligibilityModule.maximumAge
  • eligibilityModule.sex
  • eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?

The study's main measurement is taken over: Throughout the study, 8 weeks.

The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2026-04-01.

How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.

From the trial registry
  • outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
  • statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?

The study aims to enrol about 10 people.

From the trial registry
  • designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?

This study lists one location: Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.

From the trial registry
  • trial_locations

About This Trial

This is a feasibility study for trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) in patients with treatment-resistant generalized anxiety disorder (TR-GAD). Ten participants will receive TNS for 8 weeks as an augmentation strategy to pharmacological treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). * The primary objective is to ascertain if TNS is a safe and well-tolerated treatment for patients with TR-GAD. * The secondary objective will be to monitor changes in GAD symptom severity throughout the study. Results from this study will inform a randomized controlled trial to be conducted in the future.

Think this trial might be right for you?

Complete a quick intake form and we will match you with this and other relevant trials based on your medical profile.

See if this trial could fit you

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.