~0 spots leftby Apr 2026

ON/OFF Stimulation and Impulsivity in Patients With Deep Brain Stimulators

Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
+1 other location
DD
Overseen byDarin D Dougherty, MD
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Waitlist Available
Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
No Placebo Group
Approved in 3 Jurisdictions

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The investigators propose a test of causality by examining a cohort of patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) within the ventral striatum. The investigators will examine behavior on and off stimulation across a range of tasks that index different forms of impulsivity. Patients will be studied in both the ON and OFF state - that is, they will be tested during active deep brain stimulation and 30 min to 1 hour after stimulation has been stopped (order of state will be counterbalanced across subjects). The investigators specific aim is to test the hypothesis that enhancing ventral striatal signaling (i.e. ON-state DBS) will cause more impulsive patterns of behavior across several impulsivity tasks. The investigators predict that ventral striatal DBS will increase stop-signal reaction time on the stop-signal task and commission errors on the Go/NoGo task, and increase delay aversion in a delay discounting paradigm.

Research Team

DD

Darin D Dougherty, MD

Principal Investigator

Massachusetts General Hospital

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Deep brain stimulator implantation performed at least three months prior to study

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • Deep Brain Stimulation (Procedure)

Deep Brain Stimulation is already approved in Canada for the following indications:

🇨🇦
Approved in Canada as Deep Brain Stimulation for:
  • Essential tremor
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Dystonia
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Epilepsy
  • Chronic pain

Find a Clinic Near You

Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
Massachusetts General HospitalBoston, MA
Massachusetts General HospitalCharlestown, MA
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Massachusetts General Hospital

Lead Sponsor

Trials
3066
Patients Recruited
13,430,000+