Open-LIFU depression pilot: 35% of 20 patients reach remission after under two hours of ultrasound

Openwater/Open-LIFU

A University of Arizona study in Frontiers in Psychiatry gave 20 people with depression 11 ten-minute sessions of Open-LIFU 2.0 over three weeks, aimed at the anterior medial prefrontal cortex. Depression severity fell substantially in 45-60% of participants, with no significant side effects.

• 35% reached clinical remission
• Dropout 10%; participants also reported fewer repetitive negative thoughts
• Larger randomised controlled studies are planned