Podcast: LIBR Helps Discover That Gentle Sound Waves Can “Tune” Depression Circuits in the Brain

Laureate Institute for Brain Research Discovers That Gentle Sound Waves Can “Tune” Depression Circuits in the BrainTULSA, OK (November 2025) — Researchers from the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR), led by Principal Investigator Salvador M. Guinjoan, M.D., Ph.D. have published a groundbreaking study showing that gentle sound waves can safely and temporarily shift brain activity tied to depression.
The research, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, used low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) to reach a deep part of the brain called the anterior limb of the internal capsule — an area known to affect emotion and motivation.
After a brief ultrasound session, participants reported feeling more positive, while brain scans showed that key emotion-related regions were momentarily “disconnected,” suggesting that the ultrasound had successfully — and reversibly — quieted overactive communication between brain areas involved in depression.
“This is the first time we’ve demonstrated that focused ultrasound can precisely and reversibly modulate deep brain circuits related to depression,” said Dr. Guinjoan. “It’s an exciting step toward developing new treatments that don’t rely on medication or surgery.”
Dr. Guinjoan conducted this research in collaboration with leading scientists from other institutions, advancing LIBR’s mission to explore cutting-edge tools that illuminate the brain systems underlying mental health.
Listen more on the full study below. 

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SALVADOR GUINJOAN, 
Principal Investigator