DeepFocus uses close proximity and highly conductive pathways offered by thin bones between the nasal cavity and brain to create larger and more accurate electric fields in deep brain regions than traditional scalp electrode configurations.

"By going through the nose, we can place electrodes as close to the brain as possible without opening the skull," explained Mats Forssell, an electrical and computer engineering research scientist who is a lead author on the study. "We gain access to structures on the bottom of the brain which are hard to reach in other ways. That's what makes this technique so powerful."

DeepFocus could enable more efficient and lower-risk targeting of deep brain structures to treat multiple neural conditions, including depression, PTSD, OCD, addiction, and substance abuse disorder. By targeting the brain's "reward circuit" (the orbitofrontal cortex, Brodmann area 25, amygdala, etc.) and managing environmental and time of day factors, DeepFocus could disrupt the brain's associations with cravings.

DeepFocus could provide both short- and long-term treatments. Chronic treatments that require persistent stimulation could be delivered through an implant, while acute applications could be delivered in short sessions with endoscopic insertion and removal of the device.