Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Integration of Behavior and Cardiac Modulation

Major Depressive Disorder Clinical Trial

— tVNS-MDD  

Official title:

Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Integration of Behavior and Cardiac Modulation

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04467164
• Other study ID #: 2013P001259
• Secondary ID: R21MH103468
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: April 15, 2015
• Est. completion date: September 22, 2018

Study information

• Verified date: July 2020
• Source: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study characterized the impact of respiratory-gated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) on the modulation of the stress response circuitry, vagal tone and depressed mood in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Twenty premenopausal women with recurrent MDD in an active episode were recruited into a single-blind cross-over study that included two functional MRI visits within a one week period with simultaneous mood and physiological assessments. Randomization to exhalatory- or inhalatory-gated tVNS was performed to control for order effects. The study hypothesis was that exhalatory-gated tVNS would have a significantly greater impact on the regulation of brain activity in stress response circuitry, vagal tone and depressed mood in MDD patients compared to inhalation-gated tVNS.

Description:

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with alterations of the stress response circuitry, including the hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex, ventromedial, dorsolateral and orbital prefrontal cortices. Many of these regions are morphologically and functionally sexually dimorphic and associated with vulnerability for sex differences in MDD. A major role for the stress response circuitry is to assess potentially stressful stimuli and respond with a neuroendocrine signal that coordinates homeostatic responses throughout the body. Neuroimaging studies have suggested that alterations in this circuitry are implicated in mood dysregulation, increased activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system in depressed persons. Thus, the development of novel interventions that regulate this system may have a significant impact on the improvement of clinical and physiological alterations of MDD.

Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) is an FDA approved treatment for MDD that modulates circuitry implicated in mood regulation. Recently, a non-invasive variant of VNS, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), which targets the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (ABVN) has been proposed. Moreover, previous studies have suggested that the dorsal medullary system receiving vagal afference inputs operates in tune with respiration and that tVNS may be optimized by gating ABVN stimulation to the exhalatory phase of the respiratory cycle. Thus, this study proposed to characterize the impact of respiratory-gated tVNS on the modulation of the stress response circuitry, vagal tone and depressed mood in patients with recurrent major depression (MDD).

Twenty premenopausal women with recurrent MDD in an active episode were recruited into a single-blind cross-over study that included two functional MRI visits, within a one week period, with simultaneous mood and physiological assessments. Randomization to exhalatory- or inhalatory-gated tVNS was performed to control for order effects. Subjects were exposed to a mild visual stress challenge that preceded and followed 30 minutes of exhalatory- or inhalatory-gated tVNS. The study hypothesis was that exhalatory-gated tVNS would have a significantly greater impact on the regulation of brain activity in stress response circuitry, vagal tone and depressed mood in MDD patients compared to inhalation-gated tVNS

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 20
• Est. completion date: September 22, 2018
• Est. primary completion date: September 15, 2018
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Female
• Age group: 25 Years to 40 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria: Recurrent MDD diagnosis (= 2 episodes) with a current active depressive episode.

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of Axis I psychiatric diagnosis other than MDD or anxiety disorder - e.g., substance use disorder, psychotic disorder, or bipolar disorder.

• Current Suicidal Ideation with intent and/or plan or history of suicide attempt within the last year

• Use of psychotropic medications within four weeks prior to study with the exception of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) class of antidepressant medication only

• Use of Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and Atypical agents

• History of cardiovascular disease

• History of neuroleptic use

• Past history of substance abuse or dependence within the past 12 months (excludes nicotine)

• Bleeding disorder or use of anticoagulants.

• Pregnancy

• Metallic implants or devices contraindicating magnetic resonance imaging.

• Use of beta blockers

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Depressive Disorder
• Depressive Disorder, Major
• Major Depressive Disorder

Intervention

Device:
• exhalatory-gated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (e-RAVANS)
Non-painful exhalatory-gated electrical stimulation of the auricle for 30 minutes during a functional magnetic resonance imaging session.
• Inhalatory-gated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (i-RAVANS)
Non-painful inhalatory-gated electrical stimulation of the auricle for 30 minutes during a functional magnetic resonance imaging session.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Massachusetts General Hospital	Boston	Massachusetts

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Massachusetts General Hospital	National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Brain activity changes [percent blood oxygenation level dependent signal change] evaluated using functional magnetic resonance imaging during a visual stress challenge	Changes in functional magnetic resonance imaging- blood oxygenation level dependent signal (percent signal change) in response to a visual stress challenge compared between exhalatory and inhalatory-gated tVNS	1 hour
Secondary	Change in depressive symptoms assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory	Changes from baseline to post-stimulation in the total score of the Beck Depression Inventory compared between exhalatory and inhalatory-gated tVNS. (Beck depression inventory minimum score= 0, maximum score= 63; higher total scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms)	2 hours
Secondary	Changes in cardiac autonomic function during functional magnetic resonance imaging	Changes from baseline to post-stimulation in cardiac autonomic function (percent change of High Frequency power index) compared between exhalatory- and inhalatory-gated tVNS.	1 hour