ArticlemedRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences2026
Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound of the Amygdala in Depression and Anxiety: A First-in-Human Active-Controlled Trial.
Article in medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05147142 (Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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.
Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound: a New Paradigm for Depression and Anxiety
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0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Background: Low-intensity focused ultrasound (FUS) offers a noninvasive method for directly modulating deep brain structures with millimeter-scale precision, potentially addressing a major limitation of existing noninvasive neuromodulation approaches. The amygdala is a key node in affective neurocircuitry and a compelling target for psychiatric intervention. We conducted a first-in-human active controlled trial (NCT05147142) of amygdala-targeted FUS in patients with major depressive disorder, examining safety and target engagement. Methods: Ten participants with major depressive disorder completed a single-blind randomized crossover trial with blinded symptom ratings, comparing imaging-guided FUS targeting the right amygdala versus left primary somatosensory cortex as an active control. FUS comprised two 10-minute applications within diagnostic ultrasound safety limits. Primary outcomes were safety and target engagement assessed with BOLD-fMRI during sonication, post-sonication arterial spin labeling (ASL) and resting-state functional connectivity. Secondary and exploratory outcomes included symptom change and imaging-symptom relationships. Results: Nine participants completed both sessions. No serious adverse events occurred; neurological, neuropsychological, and MRI safety assessments were unremarkable. Adverse events were more frequent after amygdala than control sonication (p=0.028); one participant experienced clinical worsening following amygdala sonication and required monitoring. Amygdala sonication produced greater perfusion change in the targeted amygdala compared to the control region (p<0.001), and ipsilateral hippocampus (p<0.001). BOLD-fMRI during sonication demonstrated engagement of ventromedial prefrontal and rostral anterior cingulate regions, while post-sonication resting-state connectivity decreased between basolateral amygdala and sensorimotor regions (corrected Conclusions: Amygdala-targeted FUS produced anatomically specific, multimodal evidence of neuromodulation relative to active control, with a manageable safety profile. Convergent target and circuit-level signals support further development of FUS as a precision approach for modulating deep brain targets in psychiatric disorders.
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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.