University of Utah engineers developed Diadem, a noninvasive device that stimulates deep brain regions to potentially disrupt faulty signals causing chronic pain. (Credit: University of Utah)

Pain is a necessary biological signal, but a variety of conditions can cause those signals to go awry. For people with chronic engineers at the University of Utah have developed Diadem, a noninvasive device that can stimulate deep brain regions to potentially disrupt faulty signals causing chronic pain. Chronic pain often arises from faulty signals deep within the brain, which can persist even after the original injury has healed or a limb has been amputated. The University of Utah’s new device, Diadem, has shown promising results in providing relief to participants after just one treatment session. The device uses ultrasound to noninvasively stimulate deep brain regions, potentially disrupting the faulty signals that lead to chronic pain

.A recent clinical trial published in the journal Pain showed that 60% of the participants who received real treatment reported a significant reduction in symptoms one day and one week after the treatment. This unexpected rapid onset of pain symptom improvements and their sustained nature open doors for applying these noninvasive treatments to many patients who are resistant to current treatments.

Diadem’s approach is based on neuromodulation, a therapeutic technique that directly regulates the activity of certain brain circuits. Unlike other neuromodulation approaches, Diadem’s ultrasound stimulation can selectively reach the specific brain structure known as the anterior cingulate cortex, which was the focus of the researchers’ recent trial. The team is now preparing for a Phase 3 clinical trial, the final step before seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration to use Diadem as a treatment for the general public. They are actively looking to recruit participants for the upcoming trial, and they believe that with more help, chronic pain can be effectively silenced, potentially offering new treatment options to tackle the opioid crisis as well. If you or your relatives suffer from chronic pain that does not respond to current treatments, the research team encourages reaching out to them for potential participation in the trials.

Patients suffering from life-altering pain are constantly seeking new treatment options. A new device developed by the University of Utah may finally provide a practical, long-awaited solution.

At the core of this research is Diadem, a new biomedical device that uses ultrasound to noninvasively stimulate deep brain regions, potentially disrupting the faulty signals that lead to chronic pain.

The study was conducted by Jan Kubanek, a professor in Price’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Thomas Riis, a postdoctoral researcher in his lab. They collaborated with Akiko Okifuji, professor of Anesthesiology in the School of Medicine, as well as Daniel Feldman, a graduate student in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Psychiatry, and Adam Losser, a laboratory technician.

“We did not anticipate such potent and immediate effects from just one treatment,” stated Riis.

“The rapid onset of the pain symptom improvements as well as their sustained nature is interesting, and opens doors for applying these non-invasive treatments to the many patients who are resistant to current treatments,” Kubanek added.

Please take note of the following text: Diadem’s approach is founded on neuromodulation, which is a therapeutic technique aiming to directly regulate the activity of specific brain circuits. While other neuromodulation methods rely on electric currents and magnetic fields, they are unable to selectively target the brain structure examined in the researchers’ recent trial: the anterior cingulate cortex.

Following an initial functional MRI scan to map the target region, the researchers adjusted Diadem’s ultrasound emitters to account for the way the waves deflect off the skull and other brain structures. This procedure was published in Nature Communications Engineering.

“If you or your relatives suffer from chronic pain that does not respond to treatments, please reach out to us. We need to recruit many participants so that these treatments can be approved for the general public,” Kubanek said. “With your help, we believe chronic pain can be effectively managed. Additionally, with new pain treatment options, we can help address the opioid crisis as well.”