Den här översättningen är inte klar ännu. Den här sidan är just nu på engelska.

Gå till den engelska sidan

Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Sound waves against addiction: ultrasound trial targets alcohol cravings

NCT ID NCT06518785

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) can safely calm overactive brain areas linked to alcohol cravings. Twenty-five adults with alcohol use disorder will receive LIFU while researchers monitor side effects and measure brain activity changes with fMRI. The goal is to see if this non-invasive technique can reduce the brain's response to alcohol cues.

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 (LIFU)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could point toward a non-invasive brain stimulation treatment to help people with alcohol use disorder reduce cravings and regain control.
What could go wrong
This is a very early, small safety study with only 25 participants, so results may not apply widely. The treatment is still experimental and may not effectively change drinking behavior.

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

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

About 25 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jan 2025

Expected to finish

Sep 2030

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

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 years and older

Sex

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Male or female ≥ 18 years of age. 2. Documentation of an AUD diagnosis per DSM-5 criteria as evidenced by problematic pattern of alcohol use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by at least two of the DSM-5 criteria, occurring within a 12-month period. 3. Be willing to undergo a brain MRI and follow study protocol. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Pregnant or breastfeeding. 2. Presence of a condition or abnormality that would compromise the safety of the patient or the quality of the data. 3. Non-English speaking. 4. Other investigational AUD treatments. 5. Primary psychosis, Bipolar I, or severe personality disorder. 6. Active suicidality or history of suicide attempt in the past 5 years. 7. Cognitive impairment (MoCA \<24) 8. Significant medical or neurological disease, or life expectancy \<12 mos. 9. Significant brain abnormality on brain imaging. 10. Any MRI exclusion criteria.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Alcohol use disorder are added.

Vår säkerhetsrekommendation!

Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

alcohol abuse substance-related disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Alcohol use disorder

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. 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

  • University of California, San Francisco

    RECRUITING

    San Francisco, California, 94143, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.