A neuroscientist at the Donders Institute at Radboud University has demonstrated for the first time that targeted ultrasonic sound waves can help the brain overcome fear responses more rapidly, according to research published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.

Sjoerd Meijer led the study, which explored the use of transcranial focused ultrasound — a non-invasive technique that delivers sound waves to specific brain regions — as a potential tool for accelerating fear extinction, the process by which the brain learns that a previously feared stimulus is no longer a threat.

The findings carry potential implications for the treatment of anxiety disorders and trauma-related conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), areas where existing therapies including exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy often show limited or incomplete efficacy.

IMPORTANT CAVEATS — STUDY QUALITY NOTES: The article does not specify whether this study was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) or an observational study, nor does it disclose the sample size, which are critical factors in evaluating the strength of these findings. Readers should consult the full published paper in Science Advances for methodology details. No conflicts of interest information was available from the primary source. As this appears to be early-stage research, independent replication will be necessary before clinical applications can be considered.

Source: Medical Xpress, reporting on work published in Science Advances. Source URL: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-ultrasound-brain-quickly.html