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EMBRACE Tremor BiFUS

International, Multicenter, Investigator Blinded, Randomized And Controlled Essential Tremor Trial With Staged-Bilateral FUS

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06974916
Enrollment
100
Registered
2025-05-16
Start date
2025-04-22
Completion date
2028-03-01
Last updated
2026-08-31

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Essential Tremor

Brief summary

This is a post-market (Phase IV) randomized, controlled, blinded, multicenter study with the aim to determine the added value of staged bilateral Exablate thalamotomy compared to a group of patients on previous unilateral treatment combined with local standard medical treatment.

Detailed description

In patients who have undergone previous unilateral Exablate thalamotomy for Essential Tremor, the aim of this trial is to determine the effect of staged bilateral Exablate thalamotomy compared to a group of patients on previous unilateral treatment. The effect will be measured on tremor reduction, functional impairment, disease-specific quality of life, adverse events and patient-perception of the overall treatment result in patients eligible for a staged bilateral Exablate procedure. Patients assigned to the treatment arm will receive staged bilateral Exablate thalamotomy. Patients assigned to control group will remain under local standard medical treatment. The primary efficacy study objective is to demonstrate that Exablate staged-bilateral thalamotomy treatment reduces tremor, as measured by Treated Upper Limb CRST (A+B) (0-28) score, to a higher extent than those remaining on previous unilateral Exablate thalamotomy at 6 months. The primary safety study objective is to assess the adverse events (AEs) of Exablate staged-bilateral thalamotomy treatment in comparison to those remaining on unilateral treatment (control group) plus medical treatment, including AE type, incidence, severity and duration at 6 months.

Interventions

PROCEDUREStaged bilateral Exablate thalamotomy

Staged bilateral Exablate thalamotomy in ET patients

OTHERLocal standard medical treatment after previous Exablate unilateral thalamotomy.

Local standard medical treatment

Sponsors

InSightec
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

Subjects will be videotaped while undergoing a standardized total CRST assessment at baseline and at the 6-month visit (use a standardized video-protocol). Subjects will wear head covers so that the investigator cannot tell whether the patient has received hair shaving to prepare for the FUS-intervention. Video-recordings will be assessed by two blinded core reviewers (i.e., certified Movement Disorder Neurologists, selected by the study Steering Committee (SC) for this task). The video recordings are played in random order with respect to patients and study time points to minimize reviewer bias.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Men and women with an age of 18 years or older (according to local labeling). 2. Willing to participate in the study (i.e., signed ICF). (Willing to be randomized). 3. Patient is able to undergo a high-resolution Computerized Tomography (CT) scan. 4. Patient is able to fit into MRI unit and comply with all contraindications for the specific magnetic resonance (MR) system including and limited to contrast medium should there be needed. 5. The thalamus, sub-thalamus and the pallidum must be apparent on MR imaging. 6. Patient is able to communicate sensations to the physician during the procedure; Procedure does not require general anesthesia. 7. Patient must be able to use the Stop Sonication button freely. 8. Patient willing to have their head shaved prior to the actual treatment. 9. Patient has no history for claustrophobia which is not responding to medications. 10. ET patients who are eligible for second side staged bilateral Exablate thalamotomy treatment (according to local labeling). Time since first intervention is at least 9 months. 11. Available tremor assessment prior to the unilateral Exablate thalamotomy. 12. Patients randomized to the study, irrespective of group allocation should be willing and able to remain in the study for at least 6 months and able to complete the required assessments.

Exclusion criteria

1. Subject experienced any non-transient neurological event or worsening following the previous Exablate procedure. 2. Patients with MRI related contraindications (e.g. presence of metallic implants incompatibility with MRI, severe claustrophobia, reaction to contrast medium). 3. Patients in whom it is not possible to avoid energy absorbing structures or sensitive tissues (e.g., skull implants, surgical clips, shunts, electrodes, dura patch, skull patch, electrodes, etc.) from the path of the ultrasound beam. 4. Patients with concurrent active infections disease and/or severe allergies with fever. 5. Patients that have been diagnosed with brain tumors or a vascular anomaly. 6. Patients with a history of seizures, brain hemorrhages, stroke within the past year, or any coagulopathy. 7. Patients under anticoagulants and/or anti-platelets drugs known to increase bleeding risk within the duration defined by the half-life of the specific drugs. 8. Patient that has been given any contrast agent (e.g., CT, MRI), within 24 hours before treatment 9. Severe unstable hypertension that cannot be controlled by medications (diastolic Blood Pressure \> 100 on medication). 10. Patients with unstable cardiac status. 11. Patients exhibiting any behavior(s) consistent with ethanol or substance abuse. 12. Cerebrovascular disease (multiple CVA or CVA within 6 months). 13. Patients with risk factors for intraoperative or postoperative bleeding. 14. Imaging shows abnormal finding in CT or/and MRI (e.g., brain tumor, brain vascular malformation, shunt, etc.). 15. Patient has physical subscale score ≥ 16.5 on the Dysphagia Handicap Index or has been diagnosed with dysphagia. 16. Patient with cognitive impairment. 17. Patient with clinically significant abnormal speech function as determined by a speech pathologist.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Treated Upper Limb Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST) (A+B) (0-28) score for the treated side.6 MonthsThe primary endpoint is the difference of the Treated Upper Limb CRST (A+B) score between groups at 6 months. Higher score means a worse tremor.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Treated Upper Limb Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST) (A+B) (0-28) score as assessed by the blinded reviewers of the video-recordings.6 Months, 12 MonthsBetween group comparison through month 6 and within group comparison vs baseline up to month 12 in Treated Upper Limb CRST (A+B) score as assessed by the blinded reviewers of the video-recordings. Higher score means a worse tremor.
Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST) part A (0-76)6 Months, 12 MonthsBetween group comparison through month 6 and within group comparison vs baseline up to month 12 in resting, postural, and action tremors of all items as measured by CRST part A. Higher score means a worse tremor.
Bilateral Upper Limb Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST) (A+B) (0-56)6 Months, 12 MonthsBetween group comparison through month 6 and within group comparison vs baseline up to month 12 in Bilateral Upper Limb CRST (A+B). Higher score means a worse tremor.
Total Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST) (A+B) (0-116)6 Months, 12 MonthsBetween group comparison through month 6 and within group comparison vs baseline up to month 12 in Total CRST (A+B). Higher score means a worse tremor.
Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST) part C (0-32)6 Months, 12 MonthsBetween group comparison through month 6 and within group comparison vs baseline up to month 12 in functional disabilities as measured by CRST part C. Higher score means a worse tremor.
Axial Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST) (0-20)6 Months, 12 MonthsBetween group comparison through month 6 and within group comparison vs baseline up to month 12 in Axial CRST defined as face, tongue, head tremor and voice items of CRST part A
Quality of life questionnaire6 Months, 12 MonthsBetween group comparison through month 6 and within group comparison vs baseline up to month 12 in disease specific QOL
Change of tremor medication6 Months, 12 MonthsBetween group comparison through month 6 and within group comparison vs baseline up to month 12 in tremor medication change
Safety: Incidence and frequency of adverse events related to the treatment.6 Months, 12 MonthsIncidence and frequency of adverse events related to the treatment and/or procedure. The investigator will capture any untoward events in the case report forms along with severity, duration, and resolution, and whether the event is considered serious. The severity of adverse events will be categorized according to the definition of adverse events from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Countries

Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom

Contacts

CONTACTPascalle Reiters
pascaller@insightec.com+31 653726776
CONTACTInsightec
clinicalresearchquestions@insightec.com
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORGünther Deuschl

Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel (UKSH)

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORSteffen Paschen

Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel (UKSH)

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Sep 1, 2026