Magnetic Resonance-Guided Focused Ultrasound Bilateral Capsulotomy for Refractory Anorexia Nervosa With Comorbid Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Major Depressive Disorder

NCT07113665 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE1 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 10

Last updated 2025-08-14

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the safety and initial clinical effectiveness of MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thermal ablation (capsulotomy) in patients with treatment-refractory anorexia nervosa (AN) and comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Can MR-guided focused ultrasound capsulotomy be safely delivered through an intact skull in patients with treatment-refractory anorexia nervosa and comorbid OCD and/or MDD, with a safety and side-effect profile comparable to traditional radiofrequency neurosurgical approaches?
2. Does MRgFUS capsulotomy produce clinical outcomes comparable to open surgical ablative procedures-specifically, improvements in anxiety, mood, quality of life, anorexia nervosa psychopathology, habit formation, and weight-in patients with treatment-refractory anorexia nervosa?

Participants will:

1. Undergo baseline imaging and clinical assessments
2. Receive a single MRgFUS capsulotomy targeting the ALIC
3. Be monitored for 24 months post-treatment to assess adverse events, quality of life, and symptom changes using standardized clinical and neuropsychiatric measures

Conditions

  • Anorexia Nervosa (DSM-IV Revised Criteria)

Interventions

DEVICE

ExAblate Neuro 4000

The ExAblate Neuro 4000 is an MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) system designed to perform noninvasive thermal ablation of targeted brain tissue. In this study, the ExAblate Neuro 4000 will be used to perform a bilateral capsulotomy by ablating the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC) in patients with treatment-refractory anorexia nervosa (AN) and comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and/or major depressive disorder (MDD). The procedure will be conducted under real-time MRI guidance and thermometry to ensure accurate targeting and controlled thermal delivery. This study aims to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and preliminary clinical benefit of MRgFUS in improving psychiatric symptoms and quality of life in this patient population.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-08-31
Primary Completion
2028-08-31
Completion
2028-08-31

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07113665 on ClinicalTrials.gov