NCT05986019

Transcranial Focused Ultrasound (tFUS) Modulation of Reward Network

Evaluating the Effects of Transcranial Focused Ultrasound (tFUS) on Fronto-striatal Resting State Functional Connectivity in Healthy Individuals

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 10 (actual)
• Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Aim: Evaluate whether sonicating the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) with transcranial focused ultrasound modifies functional connectivity between the NAc and the prefrontal cortex (PFC). In this single visit, open-label pilot trial, we plan to evaluate whether transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS), delivered to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) within the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner will impact resting state functional connectivity between the NAc and functionally connected brain regions like the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in up to 10 healthy individuals. HYPOTHESIS : tFUS will reduce prefrontal cortex (PFC)-NAc functional connectivity, in healthy individuals. We will investigate this hypothesis by administering tFUS within to MRI scanner to healthy individuals and conduct resting state functional neuroimaging before- and after the tFUS stimulation.

Conditions

• Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS)	Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is a promising new technology that is both noninvasive and may be focally applied to deep brain targets. tFUS utilizes transducers which contain piezoelectric elements to produce pulses of ultrasonic waves that summate deep in the brain. Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) uses a single transducer fixed in a head-worn apparatus on the scalp to produce ultrasonic waves deep into the brain.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-07-25
• Primary completion: 2023-10-06
• Completion: 2024-06-27
• First posted: 2023-08-14
• Last updated: 2025-04-06
• Results posted: 2025-04-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States