Chinese team reports ultrasound brain stimulation helped 13 of 24 patients with disorders of consciousness

Chinese state television reported on October 29–30 that a non-invasive ultrasound brain stimulation device improved conscious behavior in 13 of 24 patients with chronic disorders of consciousness, such as vegetative and minimally conscious states. Teams led by the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (Chinese Academy of Sciences) built the device, and the first clinical study ran with Kunming Medical University. The ultrasound is aimed at millimeter-scale targets mapped by MRI, in 20-minute sessions three times a week for four weeks. One patient who had been in a coma for three months after a brain hemorrhage reportedly woke after 30 days of treatment.

The figures come from media reports, not a peer-reviewed paper, and there is no word yet on a control group, outcome measures or side effects. A sham-controlled US trial led by UCLA is testing a similar approach.

Learn more: Focused ultrasound