Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33712644›Full record

Trial reportScientific reports2021

A longitudinal, randomized experimental pilot study to investigate the effects of airborne ultrasound on human mental health, cognition, and brain structure.

L Ascone, C Kling, J Wieczorek, C Koch, S Kühn

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Scientific reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03459183 (Effects of Non-audible Infra- and Ultrasound on Brain Structure and -Function, Cognitive Functions, and Well-being), which is not on this map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03459183 nacompletednot on this map

Effects of Non-audible Infra- and Ultrasound on Brain Structure and -Function, Cognitive Functions, and Well-being

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversitätsklinikum Hamburg-EppendorfRan2018 to 2019Enrolled63ConditionsBrain Function, Ultrasound, Cognitive Function, Well-beingArmsInfrasound (85 dB, 6Hz) source, Ultrasound (10dB below hearing threshold, 22.4 kHz) source, Infrasound dummy source
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

L AsconeDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Neuronal Plasticity Working Group, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany. l.ascone-michelis@uke.de.
C KlingPhysikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Braunschweig, Bundesallee 100, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany.
J WieczorekPhysikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Braunschweig, Bundesallee 100, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany.
C KochPhysikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Braunschweig, Bundesallee 100, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany.
S KühnDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Neuronal Plasticity Working Group, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Ultrasound-(US) emitting sources are highly present in modern human environments (e.g., movement sensors, electric transformers). US affecting humans or even posing a health hazard remains understudied. Hence, ultrasonic (22.4 kHz) vs. sham devices were installed in participants' bedrooms, and active for 28 nights. Somatic and psychiatric symptoms, sound-sensitivity, sleep quality, executive function, and structural MRI were assessed pre-post. Somatization (possible nocebo) and phasic alertness increased significantly in sham, accuracy in a flexibility task decreased significantly in the verum condition (indicating hastier responses). Effects were not sustained after p-level adjustment. Exploratory voxel-based morphometry (VBM) revealed regional grey matter (rGMV) but no regional white matter volume changes in verum (relative to placebo). rGMV increased in bilateral cerebellum VIIb/Crus II and anterior cingulate (BA24). There were rGMV decreases in two bilateral frontal clusters: in the middle frontal gyri/opercular part of inferior frontal gyrus (BA46, 44), and the superior frontal gyri (BA4 ,6, 8). No brain-behavior-links were identified. Given the overall pattern of results, it is suggested that ultrasound may particularly induce regional gray matter decline in frontal areas, however with yet unclear behavioral consequences. Given the localization of clusters, candidate behavioral variables for follow-up investigation are complex motor control/coordination, stress regulation, speech processing, and inhibition tasks.Trial registration: The trial was registered at NIH www.clinicaltrials.gov , trial identifier: NCT03459183, trial name: SonicBrain01, full trial protocol available here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03459183 .

Indexed as

Mental HealthAdultBrainCognitionExecutive FunctionFemaleGray MatterHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleOrgan SizePilot ProjectsSleep QualityUltrasonic WavesWhite MatterYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID33712644
PMCPMC7955070

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.