(Carolyn Fong for CNN via CNN Newsource)Valerie Zeko (left) and Dr. Ian Kratter in the treatment room at the Brain Stimulation Lab. (Carolyn Fong for CNN via CNN Newsource)Dr. Christopher Austelle (left) and Dr. Ian Kratter examine Valerie Zeko's brain scans in a Brain Stimulation Lab treatment room. The MRI helps identify the location of the strongest connection between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and a deeper subregion, the subgenual cingulate, which is associated with depression, Kratter said. The placebo treatment replicates every aspect of SAINT except for the magnetic field fully entering the patient’s brain, Bentzley explained. Despite that lack of information, Willow thinks she underwent SAINT treatment due to how her mental health shifted during and after the trial.

Source: CNN January 15, 2026 22:44 UTC