Targeted ultrasound waves safely reduce delusions in people with schizophrenia

Wei Qi, MD, study lead author, clinical assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of MedicineOur results offer early evidence that a single session of transcranial ultrasound stimulation can safely 'tune' a brain circuit linked to psychosis and lead to a noticeable drop in delusions."

A report on the findings will be published online October 20 in the journal npj Acoustics.

"Unlike other emerging techniques that modulate brain circuits, transcranial ultrasound stimulation offers a unique opportunity to precisely target very small regions that affect thinking and behavior," said study co-senior author Shy Shoham, PhD, a professor of neuroscience and ophthalmology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and director of the Tech4Health Institute at NYU Langone.

Symptoms were assessed before, during, and up to seven days after each session using a series of rating scales that measured delusions, hallucinations, thinking and memory, and any side effects.

Funding for the pilot study was provided by the Doris Duke Foundation Fund to Retain Clinical Scientists, the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, and the Max G. Schlapp Mental Hygiene Fund.

Source:

NYU Langone Health

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