Visual Restoration Using Focused Ultrasound Stimulation and Immersive Virtual Reality After Stroke

Starting soon · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Stroke, Visual Field Defect, Visual Field Defect Following Cerebrovascular Accident, Hemianopia, Quadrantanopia, Occipital Lobe Infarct, Visual Fields Hemianopsia

In brief

This research will explore if brain stimulation combined with virtual reality therapy improves visual impairment. The stimulation technique is called low-intensity focused ultrasound stimulation (LIFUS). The treatment uses ultrasound to stimulate vision specific parts of the brain. Before this therapy, the participants will get structural brain imaging. Functional brain imaging will be performed before and after the study's completion to measure brain activity response to therapy. The purpose of this research study is to evaluate patients who have had a stroke between 6 and 24 months ago with a visual field impairment. The duration of active participation in the study is 1.5 months.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06875206

Run by

Duke University

People needed

28

Starts

2026-12-01

Expected to finish

2027-04-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-05-22

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• ≥ 18 years old of any gender and race
• Clinical ischemic stroke or hemorrhagic (confirmed by CT or MRI) that occurred >= 6-24 months ago
• Partial or complete homonymous hemianopsia on clinical exam

You may not qualify if…

• Documented history of severe dementia with or without medication before stroke that affect subject's ability to participate in and be compliant to study protocol
• Significant upper motor deficits and the subject cannot do IVR sessions at the baseline
• History of seizures
• Inability to get a new MRI
• Presence of any ultrasonic stimulation risk factors: an electrically, magnetically, or mechanically activated metal or nonmetal implant including cardiac pacemaker, intracerebral vascular clips, or any other electrically sensitive support system; non-fixed metal in any part of the body; pregnancy (the effect of ultrasonic stimulation on the fetus is unknown); preexisting scalp lesion or wound or bone defect or hemicraniectomy.
• Patients will be excluded if they have a previous diagnosis of hemianopsia, a new diagnosis of central retinal ischemic injury, or visual blindness or a history of any other ocular disease.
• Concerns about the inability to complete study visits/procedures by the PI.

Where it is running

• Duke University Health System — Durham, North Carolina, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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