Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)NCT05422469
Neurobehavioral Investigations of Approach Dynamics in the Ventral Striatum
A study testing Medtronic Percept RC neurostimulator in people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), run by Baylor College of Medicine at 2 sites in United States.
Trial summary
Traditional strategies for diagnosing psychiatric disorders focus on definitions based on constellations of co-occurring symptoms. Tracking symptom severity across therapy arcs relies on administering scales that again ask questions about symptoms. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 64 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- What is being tested?
- Medtronic Percept RC neurostimulator
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 12 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- Aug 2027to Aug 2029
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 64 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Planned for DBS for OCD (via clinical pathway, FDA HDE, IRB) or BD (via BRAIN-funded UH3 trial)
- Agrees to study activities in NBU and "home" environments
Who cannot join
- Planned to receive non-rechargeable DBS generator
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States2 sites
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas, 77030
Sameer Sheth, MD, PhD, 713-798-5060, sameer.sheth@bcm.edu
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island, 02912
Wael Asaad, wael_asaad@brown.edu
About this study
Traditional strategies for diagnosing psychiatric disorders focus on definitions based on constellations of co-occurring symptoms. Tracking symptom severity across therapy arcs relies on administering scales that again ask questions about symptoms. These strategies have allowed some degree of standardization but suffer from having a phenomenological rather than mechanistic foundation (in terms of diagnosis) as well as subjectivity and temporal sparseness (in terms of measurement).
The investigators apply a transdiagnostic framework based on the neurobiological concept of approach behavior. Several psychiatric disorders (including OCD, uni- and bipolar depression, PTSD and anxiety disorders, and addiction disorders) are characterized by dysfunction in approach behavior. The investigators study the neurobehavioral basis of approach dysfunction in a cohort of individuals with severe OCD and bipolar disorder (BD). To study these behaviors, the investigators deploy a suite of wearables and peripherals (Oura ring, Apple Watch, iPhone, audioband) that allow continuous and dense measurement of behaviors relevant to the approach hypothesis: socialization, activity, and sleep patterns. The investigators perform these measurements in two selected environments. One is a novel apartment-style setting (neurobehavioral unit, NBU) that combines the high-bandwidth data acquisition capability of a lab with the naturalistic relevance and comfort of the home. The second is the truly natural and maximally ethologically relevant setting of the ambulatory "home" environment in which people spend the majority of their time.
Read more
The participants will be individuals planned for deep brain stimulation (DBS) implant for their OCD or BD. The bi-directional (stimulate as well as record) nature of the DBS systems will allow neural recordings that the investigators will synchronize with the behavioral data streams. The investigators will apply predictive computational models in conjunction with the causal manipulation provided by stimulation to test mechanistic hypothesis relating neurophysiology, behavior, and clinical status. In Aim 1, The investigators study reward-driven decision making by employing an augmented reality approach-avoidance task in the NBU. In Aim 2, the investigators test the neurobehavioral models' ability to predict clinical status from passively (and therefore low burden to patient-participants) acquired data in the "home" environment. In Aim 3, the investigators identify neural predictors of the patterns of sleep dysregulation associated with these disorders using the unique environment of the NBU. In Aim 4, the investigators examine critical concepts of ethics and ethology that arise with this new field of naturalistic, chronic brain-behavior relationship investigation.
The investigators hope that methods validated and lessons learned in this project will improve understanding of the mechanistic basis of a range of psychiatric disorders and thereby allow greater rational design of therapeutic delivery.
Read the detailed description
Traditional strategies for diagnosing psychiatric disorders focus on definitions based on constellations of co-occurring symptoms. Tracking symptom severity across therapy arcs relies on administering scales that again ask questions about symptoms. These strategies have allowed some degree of standardization but suffer from having a phenomenological rather than mechanistic foundation (in terms of diagnosis) as well as subjectivity and temporal sparseness (in terms of measurement).
The investigators apply a transdiagnostic framework based on the neurobiological concept of approach behavior. Several psychiatric disorders (including OCD, uni- and bipolar depression, PTSD and anxiety disorders, and addiction disorders) are characterized by dysfunction in approach behavior. The investigators study the neurobehavioral basis of approach dysfunction in a cohort of individuals with severe OCD and bipolar disorder (BD). To study these behaviors, the investigators deploy a suite of wearables and peripherals (Oura ring, Apple Watch, iPhone, audioband) that allow continuous and dense measurement of behaviors relevant to the approach hypothesis: socialization, activity, and sleep patterns. The investigators perform these measurements in two selected environments. One is a novel apartment-style setting (neurobehavioral unit, NBU) that combines the high-bandwidth data acquisition capability of a lab with the naturalistic relevance and comfort of the home. The second is the truly natural and maximally ethologically relevant setting of the ambulatory "home" environment in which people spend the majority of their time.
The participants will be individuals planned for deep brain stimulation (DBS) implant for their OCD or BD. The bi-directional (stimulate as well as record) nature of the DBS systems will allow neural recordings that the investigators will synchronize with the behavioral data streams. The investigators will apply predictive computational models in conjunction with the causal manipulation provided by stimulation to test mechanistic hypothesis relating neurophysiology, behavior, and clinical status. In Aim 1, The investigators study reward-driven decision making by employing an augmented reality approach-avoidance task in the NBU. In Aim 2, the investigators test the neurobehavioral models' ability to predict clinical status from passively (and therefore low burden to patient-participants) acquired data in the "home" environment. In Aim 3, the investigators identify neural predictors of the patterns of sleep dysregulation associated with these disorders using the unique environment of the NBU. In Aim 4, the investigators examine critical concepts of ethics and ethology that arise with this new field of naturalistic, chronic brain-behavior relationship investigation.
The investigators hope that methods validated and lessons learned in this project will improve understanding of the mechanistic basis of a range of psychiatric disorders and thereby allow greater rational design of therapeutic delivery.
- Conditions
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Being tested
- Medtronic Percept RC neurostimulator
- Keywords
- Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Treatment Resistant OCD, Intractable OCD
- Medical subject headings
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Medtronic Percept RC neurostimulatorDevice
Medtronic SenSight directional DBS leads and implanted pulse generators (IPGs) will be implanted
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Medtronic Percept RC neurostimulator | Experimental | Not described Receives: Device: Medtronic Percept RC neurostimulator |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) Score
Severity of depression symptoms. Changes in the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale survey/questionnaire. YBOCS is an assessment to rate symptoms of OCD on a scale of 0-50 (with a higher number indicating a more severe outcome ratings of OCD and 0 indicated no symptoms of OCD).
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 14 months
Change in Hamilton Depression Inventory (HAM-D) Score
Severity of depression symptoms. Changes in the Hamilton Depression Inventory (HAM-D) score. HAM-D is an assessment to rate symptoms of depression on a scale of 0-52 (with a higher number indicating a more severe outcome ratings of depression and 0 indicated no symptoms of depression).
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 14 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Jun 2022
- Study startAug 2027 (estimated)
- Primary completionAug 2029 (estimated)
- Study completionAug 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Baylor College of MedicineThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Baylor College of Medicine
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Sameer Sheth, Baylor College of Medicine
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05422469
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 56119
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 27 May 2022
- Last updated
- 1 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Neurobehavioral Investigations of Approach Dynamics in the Ventral Striatum
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05422469
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 56119
- Conditions
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Keywords
- Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Treatment Resistant OCD, Intractable OCD
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Baylor College of MedicineUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Aug 2027 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Aug 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Aug 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Jun 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Traditional strategies for diagnosing psychiatric disorders focus on definitions based on constellations of co-occurring symptoms. Tracking symptom severity across therapy arcs relies on administering scales that again ask questions about symptoms. These strategies have allowed some degree of standardization but suffer from having a phenomenological rather than mechanistic foundation (in terms of diagnosis) as well as subjectivity and temporal sparseness (in terms of measurement).
The investigators apply a transdiagnostic framework based on the neurobiological concept of approach behavior. Several psychiatric disorders (including OCD, uni- and bipolar depression, PTSD and anxiety disorders, and addiction disorders) are characterized by dysfunction in approach behavior. The investigators study the neurobehavioral basis of approach dysfunction in a cohort of individuals with severe OCD and bipolar disorder (BD). To study these behaviors, the investigators deploy a suite of wearables and peripherals (Oura ring, Apple Watch, iPhone, audioband) that allow continuous and dense measurement of behaviors relevant to the approach hypothesis: socialization, activity, and sleep patterns. The investigators perform these measurements in two selected environments. One is a novel apartment-style setting (neurobehavioral unit, NBU) that combines the high-bandwidth data acquisition capability of a lab with the naturalistic relevance and comfort of the home. The second is the truly natural and maximally ethologically relevant setting of the ambulatory "home" environment in which people spend the majority of their time.
The participants will be individuals planned for deep brain stimulation (DBS) implant for their OCD or BD. The bi-directional (stimulate as well as record) nature of the DBS systems will allow neural recordings that the investigators will synchronize with the behavioral data streams. The investigators will apply predictive computational models in conjunction with the causal manipulation provided by stimulation to test mechanistic hypothesis relating neurophysiology, behavior, and clinical status. In Aim 1, The investigators study reward-driven decision making by employing an augmented reality approach-avoidance task in the NBU. In Aim 2, the investigators test the neurobehavioral models' ability to predict clinical status from passively (and therefore low burden to patient-participants) acquired data in the "home" environment. In Aim 3, the investigators identify neural predictors of the patterns of sleep dysregulation associated with these disorders using the unique environment of the NBU. In Aim 4, the investigators examine critical concepts of ethics and ethology that arise with this new field of naturalistic, chronic brain-behavior relationship investigation.
The investigators hope that methods validated and lessons learned in this project will improve understanding of the mechanistic basis of a range of psychiatric disorders and thereby allow greater rational design of therapeutic delivery.
Detailed description
Traditional strategies for diagnosing psychiatric disorders focus on definitions based on constellations of co-occurring symptoms. Tracking symptom severity across therapy arcs relies on administering scales that again ask questions about symptoms. These strategies have allowed some degree of standardization but suffer from having a phenomenological rather than mechanistic foundation (in terms of diagnosis) as well as subjectivity and temporal sparseness (in terms of measurement).
The investigators apply a transdiagnostic framework based on the neurobiological concept of approach behavior. Several psychiatric disorders (including OCD, uni- and bipolar depression, PTSD and anxiety disorders, and addiction disorders) are characterized by dysfunction in approach behavior. The investigators study the neurobehavioral basis of approach dysfunction in a cohort of individuals with severe OCD and bipolar disorder (BD). To study these behaviors, the investigators deploy a suite of wearables and peripherals (Oura ring, Apple Watch, iPhone, audioband) that allow continuous and dense measurement of behaviors relevant to the approach hypothesis: socialization, activity, and sleep patterns. The investigators perform these measurements in two selected environments. One is a novel apartment-style setting (neurobehavioral unit, NBU) that combines the high-bandwidth data acquisition capability of a lab with the naturalistic relevance and comfort of the home. The second is the truly natural and maximally ethologically relevant setting of the ambulatory "home" environment in which people spend the majority of their time.
The participants will be individuals planned for deep brain stimulation (DBS) implant for their OCD or BD. The bi-directional (stimulate as well as record) nature of the DBS systems will allow neural recordings that the investigators will synchronize with the behavioral data streams. The investigators will apply predictive computational models in conjunction with the causal manipulation provided by stimulation to test mechanistic hypothesis relating neurophysiology, behavior, and clinical status. In Aim 1, The investigators study reward-driven decision making by employing an augmented reality approach-avoidance task in the NBU. In Aim 2, the investigators test the neurobehavioral models' ability to predict clinical status from passively (and therefore low burden to patient-participants) acquired data in the "home" environment. In Aim 3, the investigators identify neural predictors of the patterns of sleep dysregulation associated with these disorders using the unique environment of the NBU. In Aim 4, the investigators examine critical concepts of ethics and ethology that arise with this new field of naturalistic, chronic brain-behavior relationship investigation.
The investigators hope that methods validated and lessons learned in this project will improve understanding of the mechanistic basis of a range of psychiatric disorders and thereby allow greater rational design of therapeutic delivery.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Medtronic Percept RC neurostimulator | Experimental | Device: Medtronic Percept RC neurostimulator |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 64 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Planned for DBS for OCD (via clinical pathway, FDA HDE, IRB) or BD (via BRAIN-funded UH3 trial)
- Agrees to study activities in NBU and "home" environments
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Planned to receive non-rechargeable DBS generator
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Medtronic Percept RC neurostimulatorMedtronic SenSight directional DBS leads and implanted pulse generators (IPGs) will be implanted | Device | Medtronic Percept RC neurostimulator |
Primary outcome
Change in Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) Score
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 14 months
Severity of depression symptoms. Changes in the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale survey/questionnaire. YBOCS is an assessment to rate symptoms of OCD on a scale of 0-50 (with a higher number indicating a more severe outcome ratings of OCD and 0 indicated no symptoms of OCD).
Change in Hamilton Depression Inventory (HAM-D) Score
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 14 months
Severity of depression symptoms. Changes in the Hamilton Depression Inventory (HAM-D) score. HAM-D is an assessment to rate symptoms of depression on a scale of 0-52 (with a higher number indicating a more severe outcome ratings of depression and 0 indicated no symptoms of depression).
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Oct 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Medtronic Percept RC neurostimulator in people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), run by Baylor College of Medicine at 2 sites in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Sameer Sheth, MD, PhD (713-798-5060, sameer.sheth@bcm.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) Score (time frame: Through study completion, an average of 14 months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Oct 2026.