A minimally invasive method for the reduction of hypertension is provided using
focused ultrasound. After injection of
ultrasound-responsive nanodroplets loaded with a therapeutic agent (e.g. barbiturates),
focused ultrasound is delivered to a norepinephrine-producing region, such as the periaqueductal gray region, thereby locally releasing the therapeutic agent
payload from the nanodroplets and achieving a therapeutic reduction in
blood pressure. Acoustic emissions from vaporizing droplets may be employed, for example, to infer one or more therapeutic parameters based on a pre-established correlation. For example,
plasma hormone content and / or the change in
blood pressure may be inferred, thereby providing a means of real-time
treatment monitoring. The present example methods may be employed to achieve a reduction in
blood pressure for subjects exhibiting
drug-resistant hypertension.