Ultrasound zaps depression? tiny trial tests new brain treatment
NCT ID NCT06013384
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This small pilot study tested whether low-intensity focused ultrasound can safely ease symptoms in people with treatment-resistant depression. The device targets a brain region linked to mood. Only 1 person was enrolled, and the trial is currently suspended, so results are very limited.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Low-intensity focused ultrasound pulsation (device)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new, non-invasive way to treat severe depression that hasn't responded to other therapies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, tiny pilot study with only 1 participant and the trial is currently suspended. Results may not apply to others, and the approach may not prove effective or safe in larger studies.
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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1 person
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2024
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * Male or female * Age 18-70 * Normal or corrected-to normal vision and hearing * Primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder, moderate/severe per DSM-5 (MADRS \>20) * The duration of the illness must exceed one year * Must be medically stable as determined by investigator * Patient must have attempted and failed treatment with at least 2 SSRI and 1 augmentation * History of rTMS is permitted, but not required Exclusionary criteria: * Diagnosis of primary DSM-5 depressive disorder other than MDD * Anxiety disorders such as GAD are permitted as long as MDD is primary * Diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder * Current use of any non-prescribed psychoactive medications or drugs (aside from medications for treatment of MDD) * Contraindication to enter the MRI environment. * Pregnancy (or suspected/possible pregnancy or plan to become pregnant in the short term). * Urine Pregnancy Test: If the subject is a woman of childbearing potential and /or a man capable of fathering a child before, during, and/or after participation precaution should be taken. Examples of acceptable methods of birth control for participants involved in the study includes: birth control pills, patch, IUD, condom, sponge, diaphragm with spermicide, or avoiding sexual activity that could cause the subject to become pregnant. * Inability to adhere to treatment schedule. * Initiation of new antidepressant treatment at the time of study randomization.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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30 Bee Street
Charleston, South Carolina, 29403, United States
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