Stimulating the brain with ultrasound could help counter the delusions people experience in schizophrenia, a small trial finds.
The trial involved transcranial ultrasound stimulation, in which a device placed on a patient's head delivers ultrasound waves through the skull and into the brain. Its goal is to change the activity in a targeted brain region.
Delusions are false beliefs that are very difficult to shake; for example, a person might believe they are being stalked when they aren't or think that a major disaster is about to occur without any evidence to suggest so. In the trial, researchers found that a 10-minute session of the ultrasound treatment reduced the severity of delusions for at least a week in patients with schizophrenia or a related disorder.
This targeted ultrasound treatment delivered directly to the brain could avoid some of the full-body effects of antipsychotic medications, such as weight gain and high blood pressure. That said, the new results, published Tuesday ...
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