Focused Ultrasound:
A New Treatment for
Severe Depression?
$400,000 of Research Funding Needed
For those suffering from depression, return to wellness can feel like an impossible journey
More than 16 million adults in the U.S. struggle with depression. It is the leading cause of disability for Americans ages 15-44 and results in
approximately $70 billion of medical expenses. The disease impacts not only the individual, but also those around them – their children,
family, colleagues and friends.
Current treatment options are limited
The majority of patients with depression can be effectively treated with drugs, electroconvulsive therapy and psychotherapy. However, up to
10% have severe, debilitating symptoms that are unresponsive to these treatments. For those individuals, various forms of psychosurgery,
which target small regions of the brain, have shown promising and long-lasting results.
During radiofrequency ablation, a hole is drilled into the skull and an electrode is inserted. The tip of the electrode is heated with electrical
energy to create a region of ablated tissue in the targeted area. Unfortunately, in some patients, this invasive surgical approach results in
infection, hemorrhage or unintended damage to the brain. Stereotactic radiosurgery is a non-invasive approach that uses high doses of
precisely focused radiation from a Gamma Knife or linear accelerator to similarly ablate regions of the brain. However, radiosurgery takes
months to have an effect and may carry the long-term complications of radiation exposure.
Deep brain stimulation is a reversible and adjustable alternative treatment. It involves permanently implanting an electrode in the brain to
stimulate the target with electrical impulses from a pacemaker. Risks for this procedure are similar to those of radiofrequency ablation but
additionally include device malfunction, and the lifelong need for repeated replacement of batteries that power the system.
Focused Ultrasound has the potential to improve lives
Focused ultrasound is a new and groundbreaking, non-invasive, medical treatment which concentrates multiple intersecting beams of
ultrasound to precisely target areas deep in the body. It has the potential to be a safer, faster, and more cost-effective treatment for those
suffering from severe depression that is not managed by medication.
You can make a difference
In a recent study for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, experts at the Yonsei University Severance Hospital in Seoul, South
Korea, led by Dr. Jin-Woo Chang, used focused ultrasound to ablate regions of the brain, creating lesions without radiation or invasive
surgery. The procedures decreased patients’ obsessive compulsive thoughts and behaviors, and showed nearly immediate and sustained
improvement in their depression and anxiety. Following these encouraging results, Dr. Chang is embarking on a 10-patient, one year, first-inhuman, pilot study to determine the feasibility of using focused ultrasound to treat severe depression. If the outcomes of the pilot trial are
positive, the next step will be a larger pivotal study exploring the safety and efficacy of the procedure. The Focused Ultrasound Foundation is
hopeful that the initial pilot study will be the first step towards an alternative treatment option that will improve the lives of certain individuals
suffering from severe depression. The Foundation is seeking $400,000 to fund the pilot study.
Why give?
• You can be a driving force behind a new approach that could improve the lives of countless individuals.
• Your support will build off research milestones.
• Your gift can catalyze additional investment from industry, government and other philanthropies to carry the technology forward.
For More Information:
Mike Cashman, Co-Director of Development 434-326-9831, [email protected]
Nora Seilheimer, Co-Director of Development, 434-326-9830, [email protected]
May 13, 2015