Researchers believe sound waves can stimulate the nerve cells controlling mood

Aug 20, 2013 17:11 GMT  ·  By

Presently, drugs are by far the most widely used method to treat depression. The bad news is that, more often than we'd want them to, depression drugs go hand in hand with noteworthy side effects.

According to scientists at the University of Arizona, a new and better way to treat said medical condition could soon be made available to people worldwide.

These researchers claim that ultrasounds, i.e. sound waves whose frequency makes them inaudible to the human ear, can alter a person's mood, if they are blasted towards the top of the individual's brain. Daily Mail details that, according to these scientists, said sound waves work by stimulating the nerve cells in charge of controlling mood.

By the looks of it, experiments carried out with the help of 14 volunteers have shown that 60 seconds of exposure to ultrasounds are more than enough for a person to experience a noteworthy improvement in their mental wellbeing.

What's more, it appears that it only took about 10 minutes for the volunteers exposed to sound waves to start feeling better.

More precisely, their average so-called feel-good score jumped from 54.6 to 59.3.

“It is interesting that ultrasound to the head has some effects on brain function and can influence mood. There is potential for it being helpful in clinical depression and anxiety,” Professor Nick Craddock argues.

“But this will need a lot more work and well-conducted clinical trials before it could be brought into the clinic,” he further stresses.