Sound waves zapped into brain may curb addiction urges
NCT ID NCT06477029
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether a brief, low-intensity ultrasound aimed at a brain region called the ventral striatum could change activity linked to impulsive behavior. Twenty-five healthy adults received both real and sham ultrasound in separate sessions. The goal was to see if this safe, non-invasive technique could alter brain responses to prediction errors, which are key in addiction.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-invasive brain stimulation treatment for cocaine use disorder.
- What could go wrong
- This was a small, early study in healthy adults, not people with addiction. It only looked at immediate brain changes, not actual behavior or long-term effects.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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25 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2024
- Finished
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Apr 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 45 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * No present/lifetime history of major depressive disorder (MDD), psychosis, Bipolar Disorder; Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS)\>7; Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS)\>10), borderline personality disorder, and present suicidal ideation * No family history of MDD, psychosis, Bipolar Disorder, or epilepsy Exclusion Criteria: * Present/lifetime history of MDD, psychosis, Bipolar Disorder (HDRS\>7; YMRS\>10), borderline personality disorder, and present suicidal ideation. Childhood history of, but not present, anxiety disorders and Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will be allowed as these are common disorders in childhood * Family history of MDD, psychosis, Bipolar Disorder, or epilepsy * History of head injury, neurological (e.g., epilepsy), pervasive developmental disorder (e.g., autism), systemic medical disease and treatment (medical records, participant report) * Use of substances with seizure risk (e.g., stimulants) in the past month, as for other non-invasive neuromodulation techniques, assessed as screening and before each tFUS session * Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score (cognitive state) \<24 * Premorbid North American Adult Reading Test (NAART) intelligence quotient (IQ) estimate \<85; * Visual disturbance: \<20/40 (Snellen visual acuity) * Left/mixed handedness (Annett criteria) * History of alcohol or other substance use disorder (SUD), daily nicotine use, and/or illicit substance use over the last 3 months (SCID-5). Note: lifetime/present cannabis use (\<3 times in the past month) at non-SUD levels will be allowed, given its common usage in young adults. Urine tests on scan days will exclude current illicit substance use. Salivary alcohol tests on scan days will exclude intoxicated individuals * Binge drinking (as defined by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) criteria: consuming 5 or more drinks (male), or 4 or more drinks (female), in about 2 hours.) in the week before, and/or \>3 drinks/day for the 3 days before, and/or alcohol in the last 12 hrs before, any alcohol on tFUS scan day, confirmed at screening and scan days. Alcohol/nicotine/caffeine/cannabis use (below SCID-5 SUD and binge levels) will be allowed * MRI exclusion criteria: metallic objects, e.g., surgical implants; claustrophobia; positive pregnancy test for females or self-report pregnancy * Unable to understand English * Taking any psychotropic medications in the past 3 months * Any implanted neural device * Color blind
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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UPMC
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.