Sound-Driven Reboot: A Noninvasive Brain Fix for Addiction

Erin McNulty, a long-time meth addict, becomes part of a WVU trial testing noninvasive focused ultrasound to modulate the brain’s reward center. After initial sham treatment and then real ultrasound targeting the nucleus accumbens, her cravings dropped and she maintained sobriety for months; early trial data from the first participants show large reductions in cravings and fewer positive drug tests. The approach remains experimental, with safety questions, dose variability, and the need for behavioral support, but it’s drawing interest as a potential non-surgical option to treat addiction.