Focused Ultrasound Cuts Erin McNulty’s Meth Cravings in 20 Minutes as WVU Expands 47-Patient Trial
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Aug 14
Focused Ultrasound Cuts Erin McNulty’s Meth Cravings in 20 Minutes as WVU Expands 47-Patient Trial
1 articles · Updated · WIRED · Aug 14
Summary
January 2025 brought Erin McNulty’s real focused-ultrasound treatment at West Virginia University after a sham session months earlier failed and she relapsed to meth use.
20 minutes of MRI-guided ultrasound aimed at her nucleus accumbens cut her cravings while she was still in the scanner, and she later reported drugs no longer triggered the pull they once did.
47 people with substance use disorders have now received the procedure in WVU trials; among the first 20 open-label participants, researchers saw self-reported cravings fall more than 90% and positive urine tests drop 80%.
An injury to a 44-year-old trial volunteer last year halted the study for eight months after tiny brain hemorrhages were detected, prompting added power-limit safety controls and wider debate over dosing standards.
McNulty has since moved back to Vermont, works at her family’s antiques shop, and says she no longer thinks about drugs, while the still-experimental protocol is spreading to sites in Baltimore, Florida and New York.
Can a 20-minute focused-ultrasound treatment really silence meth and heroin cravings, or is one woman’s recovery story ahead of the science?
After a participant suffered a brain injury, how safe is WVU’s experimental brain-ultrasound addiction trial now?
91% Drop in Opioid Cravings: MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound’s Breakthrough and Safety Lessons in Addiction Treatment
Overview
This report explores how MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) offers a noninvasive way to target the brain’s reward center, the nucleus accumbens, to treat addiction. By delivering low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU), clinicians can alter neural activity and reduce cravings for up to 90 days, without the surgical risks of deep brain stimulation. Integrating LIFU with behavioral therapies further strengthens recovery and lowers relapse rates. However, safety concerns like unexpected brain injuries highlight the need for precise targeting and careful patient selection. Despite promising results, high costs and lack of insurance coverage remain major barriers to widespread adoption.