Zapping anxiety with sound waves: new brain study tests Non-Invasive tFUS

NCT ID NCT06273904

Recruiting now Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether a technology called transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) can temporarily change brain activity linked to anxiety. Researchers will recruit 40 adults with anxiety disorders who recently started treatment. Participants will undergo brain imaging and then receive either active or sham tFUS while performing emotional tasks. This is not a treatment study, but it may help develop future therapies.

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 successful, this could point toward a non-invasive way to temporarily adjust brain activity in anxiety disorders, potentially informing future treatments.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage study (40 people) that is not designed to treat anxiety. It only measures temporary brain changes, so it may not lead to any practical treatment.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

adjustment disorder anxiety disorder generalized anxiety disorder obsessive-compulsive disorder panic disorder post-traumatic stress disorder social phobia specific phobia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

ANXIETY DISORDERS

Contacts and locations

Locations

Medical University of South Carolina
RECRUITING

Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States

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