NCT07573982 Ultrasonic Debris Clearance to Promote Brain Resilience
| NCT ID | NCT07573982 |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Phase | — |
| Sponsor | Stanford University |
| Condition | Alzheimer s Disease |
| Study Type | INTERVENTIONAL |
| Enrollment | 15 participants |
| Start Date | 2026-10 |
| Primary Completion | 2027-07 |
Eligibility & Interventions
Eligibility Fast-Check
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What to Expect as a Participant
You will actively receive the study intervention — which may be a drug, biologic, device, or procedure.
This trial targets 15 participants in total. It began in 2026-10 with a primary completion date of 2027-07.
⚠ This information is for research awareness only. Always consult your physician before joining any clinical trial. Participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.
Brief Summary
This pilot study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and feasibility of Ultrasonic Debris Clearance (UDC), a noninvasive low-intensity focused ultrasound intervention, in amyloid-positive adults who are asymptomatic but at risk for Alzheimer's disease, or who have mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. The study is designed to test whether repeated UDC sessions can be delivered safely and feasibly in this population, while also exploring efficacy via biomarkers and clinical measures.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1.1. Physician-reported amyloid positivity diagnosed by amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) OR historic CSF positivity of Abeta42, total tau, or phosphorylated tau OR positivity of plasma pTau-217. 1.2. Age ≥ 18 years. No gender/sex, racial, or ethnic preference. Subjects greater than 60 years of age will be assumed to be non-pregnant based on age and expected post-menopausal status. Female subjects under the age of 60 will complete a two-step assessment of pregnancy status (a self-reported assessment of menopause that proceeds to a urine human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) test to confirm non-pregnancy, if the participant is not post-menopausal). 1.3. CDR Scale score less than or equal to 1.0, consistent with mild, very mild, or no dementia. 1.4. Ability and willingness to comply with the study procedures (six sessions sitting in a procedure chair for up to one hour for the procedure, with an ultrasound device placed on their scalp; additional time for the MRI assessment, blood draws, and cognitive assessments). 1.5. Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document. Exclusion Criteria: 2.1. Dementia of moderate or higher severity (CDR \> 1.0) 2.2. Intracranial tumors, acute or chronic hemorrhage (beyond petechiae/microhemmorhage), or other current or historic central nervous system specific pathology. Baseline MRI studies will be screened by the protocol director to ensure no exclusionary intracranial pathology is present. 2.3. Any other comorbidity that would prevent adequate interpretation of the study results per the treatment team (e.g. congenital brain malformations without clinical importance) 2.4. Ultrasound attenuators along the ultrasound beam path (metal, air, or bulky calcification) including thick hair or related adornments that cannot be undone for the study (e.g. turbans, dreadlocks, hairweaves/wigs) that would prevent adequate ultrasound gel coupling of the device to the scalp or could trap air in the ultrasound beam path. 2.5. Contraindications to MRI (unknown device, claustrophobia) or metallic hardware in the head that prevent adequate MRI visualization of the brain 2.6. Allergy or similar intolerance to the materials used for ultrasound device coupling (ultrasound gel, silicone) 2.7. Receipt of anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody therapy within 6 months prior to screening 2.8. Moderate or greater depressive symptoms at screening, defined as a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) total score \>= 10. 2.9. Clinically significant suicidal ideation or behavior as assessed by the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) 2.10. Clinically significant hematologic abnormalities, defined as hematocrit \< 35% for male or \< 32% for female, absolute neutrophil cell count \< 1500/uL, absolute lymphocyte count \< 900/uL, or platelet count \< 120,000/uL 2.11. Clinically significant hepatic, renal, respiratory, cardiovascular, or metabolic disease that increases risk or interferes with interpretation, defined as ALT/AST/ALP \> 1.5 ULN, or eGFR \< 50 mL/min/1.73m2, or recent MI/unstable angina/HF/cardiomyopathy within 6 months, 2.12. Significant bradycardia(\<50/min) or tachycardia (\>100/min) 2.13. Poorly controlled BP 2.14. Uncontrolled diabetes, defined as HbA1c \> 7.5 2.15. Active clinically significant infection or other systemic illness affecting the CNS
Contact & Investigator
Raag Airan, MD, PhD
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Stanford University
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can join the NCT07573982 clinical trial?
This trial is open to participants of all sexes, aged 18 Years or older, studying Alzheimer s Disease. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed in the Eligibility Criteria section. Always confirm your eligibility with the research team before applying.
Is NCT07573982 currently recruiting?
Yes, NCT07573982 is actively recruiting participants. Contact the research team at mwada@stanford.edu for enrollment information.
Where is the NCT07573982 trial being conducted?
This trial is being conducted at Stanford, United States.
Who is sponsoring the NCT07573982 clinical trial?
NCT07573982 is sponsored by Stanford University. The principal investigator is Raag Airan, MD, PhD at Stanford University. The trial plans to enroll 15 participants.
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