A pioneering sound wave therapy that targets the brain’s emotional control center has shown powerful results in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD — all without surgery or medication.
In a recent clinical trial at UT Austin, patients underwent daily, non-invasive ultrasound treatments for three weeks and experienced significant mental health improvements, signaling a bold new frontier for psychiatric care.
Breakthrough Sound Wave Therapy for Mood Disorders
People living with depression, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders found significant relief after receiving a new, non-invasive brain treatment that uses sound waves to gently stimulate deep areas of the brain. The research, conducted by Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, highlights a promising alternative to traditional psychiatric interventions.
Published in Molecular Psychiatry, the study shows that low-intensity focused ultrasound can safely and precisely target the amygdala, a brain structure often overactive in mood and anxiety disorders, without the need for surgery or medication.
Revolutionary Non-Invasive Brain Modulation
“Participants showed marked improvements across a range of symptoms after just three weeks of daily treatments,” said Gregory Fonzo, Ph.D., senior author of the study and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Dell Med. “What makes this approach revolutionary is that it’s the first time we’ve been able to directly modulate deep brain activity without invasive procedures or medications.”
In the double-blind trial, 29 individuals with mood and anxiety disorders underwent MRI-guided ultrasound treatments directed at the left amygdala. The therapy led to immediate reductions in amygdala activity. After three weeks of treatment, patients reported clinically meaningful improvements in depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and overall emotional distress.
Unlocking New Avenues for Psychiatric Treatment
“For decades, the amygdala has been a target of interest, but access has required either brain surgery or indirect approaches through cortical stimulation,” said Fonzo. “This technology opens a new frontier in psychiatric treatment, potentially offering relief to patients who haven’t responded to traditional therapies.”
The treatment was well tolerated with no serious adverse events, suggesting a promising safety profile as researchers move toward larger clinical trials.
Reference: “Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound amygdala neuromodulation: a double-blind sham-controlled target engagement study and unblinded single-arm clinical trial” by Bryan R. Barksdale, Lauren Enten, Annamarie DeMarco, Rachel Kline, Manoj K. Doss, Charles B. Nemeroff and Gregory A. Fonzo, 24 April 2025, Molecular Psychiatry.
DOI: 10.1038/s41380-025-03033-w
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