Sound waves to lift mood? new study tests ultrasound for depression
NCT ID NCT06902298
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Sep 09, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study tests a new, non-invasive brain stimulation method using low-intensity ultrasound waves aimed at specific brain areas linked to depression. Researchers will personalize the treatment for each of the 30 participants based on their brain scans. The goal is to see if this approach can safely engage the target brain regions and improve mood in people with treatment-resistant depression.
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 transcranial focused ultrasound
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new non-invasive treatment option for people with depression that hasn't responded to other therapies.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase study with only 30 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The treatment is still experimental, and its safety and effectiveness are not yet proven.
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
-
Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
-
About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Sep 2026
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
-
18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: 1. Age 18-65, any gender. 2. Primary diagnosis of DMS-5 major depressive disorder (MINI). 3. Current moderate-to-severe depressive episode, without psychotic features, lasting at least 2 months (MINI). 4. Self-rated 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS) total score \> 10. 5. History of at least 2 failed trials of evidence-based antidepressant medication and/or psychotherapy (at least one trial during the current depressive episode). 6. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and avoid changes to psychiatric treatments (medications, psychotherapy) for the duration of the study. 7. For participants of reproductive potential: negative pregnancy test or use of highly effective contraception for at least 1 month prior to baseline; agreement to use such a method throughout the study. 8. Capacity to provide informed consent; provision of a signed and dated consent form 9. Currently are under the care of a licensed psychiatrist or other mental health care provider, or a licensed addiction medicine specialist and agrees to promptly inform the investigator or the study staff of any change in these providers. 10. Agrees to allow any and all forms of communication between the investigators/study staff and any healthcare provider who currently provides and/or has provided service to the patient/subject within at least two years of study enrollment for the purposes of eligibility confirmation or in case of a safety event. 11. Agrees to provide the name and verifiable contact information (email and mailing addresses, mobile and land-line phone numbers, as applicable) of at least two persons 22 years or older who reside within a 60-minute drive of the patient's residence. Subject agrees that in the event of a safety concern or event during study participation, research staff is at liberty to contact these individuals if the subject does not respond to contact attempts. Exclusion Criteria: 1. History of serious brain injury or other neurologic disorder. 2. Poorly managed general medical condition. 3. Pregnant or breast feeding. 4. Implanted device in the head or neck. 5. MRI intolerance or contraindication. 6. Brain stimulation treatment such as ECT, TMS, or VNS (past month). 7. Recent change in antidepressant treatments (past month). 8. 8\. Moderate-High Risk of Suicide according to the Columbia - Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Screen Version - Recent (answers YES to Question 3 and NO to Question 6 (Moderate risk) or YES to Question 4, 5, or 6 (High risk)) and/or in the clinical judgement of the PI or a study psychiatrist 9. Suicidal behavior (past year). 10. Serious suicide attempt 33 (lifetime). 11. Moderate-to-severe substance use disorder (MINI, past 3 months). 12. Obsessive compulsive disorder, primary diagnosis (MINI, past month). 13. Posttraumatic stress disorder, primary diagnosis (MINI, past month). 14. Bipolar-spectrum disorder (MINI, lifetime). 15. Schizophrenia-spectrum disorder (MINI, lifetime). 16. Neurocognitive disorder (DSM-5, past year). 17. Severe personality disorder. 18. Clinically inappropriate for participation in the study as determined by the study team.
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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
-
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah, 84108, United States
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