Testing Deep Brain Stimulation for TBI traumatic brain injury
Official title: DBS for Cognitive Deficits After Traumatic Brain Injury
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for the Treatment of Cognitive Deficits After Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Pilot Trial
- Phase 1
- 1 group
- One site, in Toronto
- Recruiting
Interventions
- Medical device
Deep Brain Stimulation
Patients will arrive on the morning of surgery to the medical imaging department of the Sunnybrook Hospital. They will have a stereotactic frame attached directly to their skull, after infiltration with local anesthesia. The frame allows precise coordinates to be acquired so that deep brain structures can be targeted with implanted electrodes. The patient will then undergo a CT scan with the frame in place, followed by transport directly to the operating room. The anesthesia team will insert an intravenous line and may use gentle sedation to relax the patient prior to and during the operation, as they will remain awake during the first stage of the operation. In the operating room the patient's head, via the frame, will be attached to the operating room table, and their scalp infiltrated with additional local anesthetic. A skin incision will be made and two burr holeswith approximately 1.4cm in diameter drilled through the skull. A small electrode will identify the optimal spot for ele
Canadian Sites (1)
1 of 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Toronto, Ontario
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for14 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +Female or male patients between age 18-70.
- +Diagnosis of memory and cognitive deficits in patients who suffered TBI will be defined according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5th edition (DSM-5).
- +Patients with cognitive disorder not otherwise specified, dementia, or amnestic disorder due to TBI will be considered.
- +Performance at least 1.5 standard deviations below the estimated premorbid intelligence (assessed by the American National Adult Reading Test) on memory tests (assessed by the California Verbal Learning Test; CVLT).
- +History of TBI for at least 1 year, preferably with evidence of failure to donepezil, cholinesterase inhibitors and cognitive therapy.
- +Ability to provide informed consentInformed consentThe process of being told what taking part involves, then choosing freely.Read more → and comply with all testing, follow-ups and study appointments.
Exclusion
- −Active neurologic disease, such as epilepsy or Alzheimer's disease.
- −Any contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning.
- −Presence of clinical and/or neurological conditions that may significantly increase the risk of the surgical procedure
- −Current suicidal or homicidal ideation.
- −Active neurologic disease, such as epilepsy.
- −Likely to relocate or move during the study's one year duration
- −Patients with renal dysfunction (GFR\<60)
- −Pregnancy.
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is testing a treatment for a condition.
Phase 1Phase 1The earliest stage of human testing, in a small group, focused on safety.Read more → — an early safety study in a small group, checking how it is tolerated and at what dose.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
Who receives what
Everyone in this study is in one group and receives Deep Brain Stimulation.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].label
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
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.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
Who the study is looking for
The study lists an age range of 18 years to 70 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 November 2026.
The main measurement is taken over: Every 2 weeks until the 8 weeks mark, every 4 weeks until 6 month mark and every two months until the 2 year mark.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Number of participants with treatment-related adverse eventsAdverse eventAny medical problem that happens during a study, whether or not the treatment caused it.Read more → as assessed by SAFTEE — measured over Every 2 weeks until the 8 weeks mark, every 4 weeks until 6 month mark and every two months until the 2 year mark.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT06818864 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 Deep Brain StimulationDevice
Patients will arrive on the morning of surgery to the medical imaging department of the Sunnybrook Hospital. They will have a stereotactic frame attached directly to their skull, after infiltration with local anesthesia. The frame allows precise coordinates to be acquired so that deep brain structures can be targeted with implanted electrodes. The patient will then undergo a CT scan with the frame in place, followed by transport directly to the operating room. The anesthesia team will insert an intravenous line and may use gentle sedation to relax the patient prior to and during the operation, as they will remain awake during the first stage of the operation. In the operating room the patient's head, via the frame, will be attached to the operating room table, and their scalp infiltrated with additional local anesthetic. A skin incision will be made and two burr holeswith approximately 1.4cm in diameter drilled through the skull. A small electrode will identify the optimal spot for ele
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 70 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 70 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: Every 2 weeks until the 8 weeks mark, every 4 weeks until 6 month mark and every two months until the 2 year mark.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2026-11-01.
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: Toronto, 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
Patients with memory and cognitive deficits following TBI that do not respond to conventional treatments experience a decrease in quality of life. Despite advances in neuroimaging, genetics, pharmacology and psychosocial interventions in the last half century, little progress has been made in altering the natural history of the condition or its outcome. This study would explore whether a surgical therapy is safe and potentially effective in patients who develop refractory memory and cognitive deficits following TBI. Preclinical studies suggest that DBS may improve memory deficits in TBI models. Moreover, DBS delivered to the fornix has shown promising clinical results in patients with Alzheimer's disease. The main mechanism for the improvements induced by DBS in memory tests is the development of multiple forms of plasticity.
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See if this trial could fit youThis 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.