As part of a leading academic institution, we have an active clinical research program. We are committed to developing cutting-edge treatments in order to carry out UCLA Health’s mission of “healing humankind, one patient at a time.”
We are pleased to offer interested patients the opportunity to participate in clinical research. We have several studies currently enrolling patients as outlined below. For more information about any of these studies, or if you are interested in participating in a study, please contact us directly.
Volunteers Needed – Join a Study Measuring Activity in Your Brain
The Neuromodulation Division is testing customized approaches of TMS to see its effect on improving depressive symptoms. For more information call (310) 825-7797 or email [email protected]
Volunteers Needed – TMS for BPD: Impulsivity and Emotion Regulation
The Tayadon-Nejad Lab is studying how TMS can change participant’s performance in computer tasks by measuring impulsivity and emotion regulation. For more information please contact (310) 794-0331 or email [email protected]
The Suthana Lab is testing an innovative approach involving deep brain stimulation therapy of the amygdala with Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) in those with treatment-resistant PTSD. For more information call (310) 794-7517, or email [email protected]
The UCLA Neuromodulation Division at the UCLA Semel Institute is currently seeking participants for a study to analyze how brain stimulation affects symptoms of a condition called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).
Depression is a common illness worldwide, with more than 264 million people affected.* Many depressed people do not get sufficient benefit from antidepressant medications and are seeking alternative treatment options.
You may qualify to participate in a research study to evaluates a new treatment for alleviating Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) symptoms that is self-administered with an investigational medical device. The study device is non-invasive and is used by participants at home at convenient times. Compensation for time and travel is available for eligible participants.
*According to the World health Organization (WHO), 2020.
The Tadayon-Nejad Lab is investigating what happens in the brain when people with OCD pick choices during two simple decision-making tasks on a computer screen. We will use a non-invasive method called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which involves passage of a small, safe and well-tolerated electrical current to see how it affects the way research participants decide and select choices. This is not a treatment study.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) involves applying magnetic pulses to a targeted area of the brain at a regular interval or “frequency” (for example, 10 pulses per second). Currently, TMS is applied according to FDA-approved procedures with standardized frequencies, most often 10 Hz (10 magnetic pulses per second). In this study, we aim to develop an individualized treatment approach that will likely result in improved therapeutic benefit by identifying the best individual stimulation frequency. We believe some patients may have better outcomes if treatment is delivered at a frequency that is customized for their own patterns of brain activity. During the first treatment, we will test over 50 different frequencies and measure the brain’s response to each one of those using an electroencephalographic (EEG) recording. These EEG signals will allow to determine which frequency has induced the largest ‘resonance’ response and may be therefore most efficacious to engage brain networks. We will then deliver all subsequent treatments using the customized frequency. By aligning internal brain and stimulation frequencies, we expect to better engage the targeted brain network, and thus to achieve better clinical outcomes earlier in the treatment course.
Figure: Frontal left and posterior right brain regions are showing a resonance response to stimulation frequencies between 3-17 Hz.
Stimulant Medication to Improve rTMS Treatment Outcome
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is often used alongside psychiatric medications as a way to treat depression. We have recently found that patients treated in our clinic who were taking low dose psychostimulant medications (e.g., Adderall or Ritalin), tended to have greater improvement during their course of TMS treatment. This raises the possibility that psychostimulant medications may enhance the beneficial effects TMS has on the brain. The goal of this study is to specifically test whether this is true by comparing the response of patients given a low dose of generic Adderall XR with those receiving a placebo control. We hope that these results will open up the possibility to augment the effectiveness of TMS for depression by combining it with specific medications.
Response and Remission Rates in Psychostimulant in Users vs Non-Users
Multi-Site rTMS Treatment For Comorbid Depression And Pain
Depression is often accompanied by chronic pain that is linked to an increased burden for the patient. This co-occurrence of depression and two chronic pain conditions, fibromyalgia, and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is particularly striking. Based on previous research, we believe that combined repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment to two different brain targets for depression and pain will more effectively reduce both depressive and pain symptoms. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether multi-site treatment can enhance the overall antidepressant response compared to the regular treatment at one single location. We will also examine whether successful symptom reduction in depression and chronic pain will result in brain network changes as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and in reduction of peripheral inflammation.
Figure: Left: More than half of MDD patients treated at UCLA TMS Clinic have chronic pain symptoms. Right: Brain network that allows us to predict who among these MDD and chronic pain patients is going to improve after rTMS treatment.
Pupillometry
The eyes are not only the “window to the soul,” but also a window into the sympathetic nervous system (which is responsible for the fight-or-flight response). Measuring how quickly a person’s pupils react to light can tell us about how active their sympathetic nervous system is. We believe that the extent of pupils’ responsiveness to light stimulation may be linked to the extent of the brain’s responsiveness to the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment and that successful treatment may change both responses. This study involves non-invasively measuring how quickly and how much a person’s pupils react to a brief light stimulus. This measurement is taken before and after TMS treatments once per week for six weeks. Participating in the study will add about 5 minutes to your treatment session (once per week) and will require about 45 minutes in total. We are hoping to determine whether this quick, risk-free, and non-invasive test can help predict who is more or less likely to benefit from TMS treatment.
There is some evidence that TMS treatment may improve memory in older adults. The Laboratory of Neuromodulation & Neuroimaging is currently investigating the effects of TMS on memory in adults ages 60-90 both with and without memory impairment. See the recruitment flyers below or contact the Laboratory for Neuromodulation & Neuroimaging ([email protected] or (310) 794-7517) to learn more.
Deep Brain Stimulation is a surgical procedure where small electrodes are implanted into the brain, which provide electrical stimulation to specific areas of the brain to help patients control their depression symptoms. DBS is a common surgical treatment for movement disorders (i.e. Parkinson’s Disease) and has been used to treat severe cases of depression. The goal of this study is to find ways to relieve the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression using DBS. Study participation involves surgery to place the DBS system, followed by a 10 day hospital stay for testing and monitoring to determine how to best use the system to treat your depression. You would then receive DBS therapy and regular follow up with the research team for one year. You may be eligible for this study if you have had major depressive disorder for the last 2 years, have not responded to at least 4 antidepressants, and have not responded to ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) for depression. For more information, please see the study flyer and brochure below, or contact the study team at (310) 267-4331.
