NCT07417280

LIFUS For Neurological Disorders

Clinical Effects of Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation in Patients With Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University Health Network, Toronto · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 85 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFUS) has the potential to be used as a means of non-invasive neuro-modulation. To this day, the use of LIFUS is under investigation. Studies in healthy subjects have shown that application of LIFUS to the motor region of the brain can mildly decrease neuron excitability in healthy controls. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effects of LIFUS on brain tissue excitability in patients with movement disorders in order to elucidate the therapeutic potential of LIFUS.

Conditions

• Parkinson's Disease (PD)
• Essential Tremor
• Orthostatic Tremor
• Dystonia
• Epilepsy
• Substance Abuse Disorder
• Deep Brain Stimulation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	LIFUS	Low-intensity focused ultrasound neuromodulation delivered to targeted cortical and/or subcortical brain regions to transiently modulate neural activity. LIFUS may be applied alone or in combination with concurrent neurophysiological assessments (e.g., TMS-evoked motor evoked potentials, EEG recordings, or DBS local field potential sensing) depending on the study component.
DEVICE	Sham LIFUS	Sham low-intensity focused ultrasound stimulation designed to mimic the sensory and procedural aspects of active LIFUS without delivering therapeutic ultrasound energy. The sham condition serves as a control to maintain blinding of participants and investigators.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-12-02
• Primary completion: 2035-12-31
• Completion: 2040-12-31
• First posted: 2026-02-18
• Last updated: 2026-02-18

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada