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Tang J, Feng M, Wang D, Zhang L, Yang K. Recent advancement of sonogenetics: A promising noninvasive cellular manipulation by ultrasound. Genes Dis 2024; 11:101112. [PMID: 38947740 PMCID: PMC11214298 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2023.101112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent advancements in biomedical research have underscored the importance of noninvasive cellular manipulation techniques. Sonogenetics, a method that uses genetic engineering to produce ultrasound-sensitive proteins in target cells, is gaining prominence along with optogenetics, electrogenetics, and magnetogenetics. Upon stimulation with ultrasound, these proteins trigger a cascade of cellular activities and functions. Unlike traditional ultrasound modalities, sonogenetics offers enhanced spatial selectivity, improving precision and safety in disease treatment. This technology broadens the scope of non-surgical interventions across a wide range of clinical research and therapeutic applications, including neuromodulation, oncologic treatments, stem cell therapy, and beyond. Although current literature predominantly emphasizes ultrasonic neuromodulation, this review offers a comprehensive exploration of sonogenetics. We discuss ultrasound properties, the specific ultrasound-sensitive proteins employed in sonogenetics, and the technique's potential in managing conditions such as neurological disorders, cancer, and ophthalmic diseases, and in stem cell therapies. Our objective is to stimulate fresh perspectives for further research in this promising field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Tang
- Pediatric Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing Engineering Research Center of Stem Cell Therapy, Chongqing 400014, China
- Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Mingxuan Feng
- Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Ke Yang
- Pediatric Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing Engineering Research Center of Stem Cell Therapy, Chongqing 400014, China
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Ivanovski F, Meško M, Lebar T, Rupnik M, Lainšček D, Gradišek M, Jerala R, Benčina M. Ultrasound-mediated spatial and temporal control of engineered cells in vivo. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7369. [PMID: 39191796 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51620-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Remote regulation of cells in deep tissue remains a significant challenge. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound offers promise for in vivo therapies due to its non-invasive nature and precise control. This study uses pulsed ultrasound to control calcium influx in mammalian cells and engineers a therapeutic cellular device responsive to acoustic stimulation in deep tissue without overexpressing calcium channels or gas vesicles. Pulsed ultrasound parameters are established to induce calcium influx in HEK293 cells. Additionally, cells are engineered to express a designed calcium-responsive transcription factor controlling the expression of a selected therapeutic gene, constituting a therapeutic cellular device. The engineered sonogenetic system's functionality is demonstrated in vivo in mice, where an implanted anti-inflammatory cytokine-producing cellular device effectively alleviates acute colitis, as shown by improved colonic morphology and histopathology. This approach provides a powerful tool for precise, localized control of engineered cells in deep tissue, showcasing its potential for targeted therapeutic delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Ivanovski
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Interfaculty Doctoral Study of Biomedicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maja Meško
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tina Lebar
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marko Rupnik
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Duško Lainšček
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Miha Gradišek
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Tržaška c. 25, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Roman Jerala
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- CTGCT, Centre of Technology of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Mojca Benčina
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- CTGCT, Centre of Technology of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- University of Ljubljana, Kongresni trg 12, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Webb TD, Lybbert C, Wilson MG, Odéen H, Kubanek J. A Physiological Marker for Deep Brain Ultrasonic Neuromodulation. Neuromodulation 2024:S1094-7159(24)00657-3. [PMID: 39177522 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurom.2024.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation (TUSN) is a noninvasive and spatially specific therapy that promises to deliver treatments tailored to the specific needs of individuals. To fulfill this promise, each treatment must be modified to adequately correct for variation across individual skulls and neural anatomy. This study examines the use of ultrasound-induced voltage potentials (measured with electroencephalography [EEG]) to guide TUSN therapies. MATERIALS AND METHODS We measured EEG responses in two awake nonhuman primates during sonication of 12 targets surrounding two deep brain nuclei, the left and right lateral geniculate nucleus. RESULTS We report reliable ultrasound evoked potentials measured with EEG after the deep brain ultrasonic modulation in nonhuman primates. Robust responses are observed after just ten repetitions of the ultrasonic stimuli. Moreover, these potentials are only evoked for specific deep brain targets. Furthermore, a behavioral study in one subject shows a direct correspondence between the target with maximal EEG response and ultrasound-based modulation of visual choice behavior. Thus, this study provides evidence for the feasibility of EEG-based guidance for ultrasound neuromodulation therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor D Webb
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Carter Lybbert
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Matthew G Wilson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Henrik Odéen
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jan Kubanek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Yu K, He B. Transcranial focused ultrasound modulates visual thalamus in a nonhuman primate model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.05.606669. [PMID: 39211081 PMCID: PMC11361111 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.05.606669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
The thalamus plays a pivotal role as a neural hub, integrating and distributing visual information to cortical regions responsible for visual processing. Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) has emerged as a promising non-invasive brain stimulation technology, enabling modulation of neural circuits with high spatial precision. This study investigates the tFUS neuromodulation at visual thalamus and characterizes the resultant effects on interconnected visual areas in a nonhuman primate model. Experiments were conducted on a rhesus macaque trained in a visual fixation task, combining tFUS stimulation with simultaneous scalp electroencephalography (EEG) and intracranial recordings from area V4, a region closely linked to the thalamus. Ultrasound was delivered through a 128-element random array ultrasound transducer operating at 700 kHz, with the focus steered onto the pulvinar of the thalamus based on neuroanatomical atlas and individual brain model. EEG source imaging revealed localized tFUS-induced activities in the thalamus, midbrain, and visual cortical regions. Critically, tFUS stimulation of the pulvinar can elicit robust neural responses in V4 without visual input, manifested as significant modulations in local field potentials, elevated alpha and gamma power, corroborating the functional thalamocortical connectivity. Furthermore, the tFUS neuromodulatory effects on visually-evoked V4 activities were region-specific within the thalamus and dependent on ultrasound pulse repetition frequency. This work provides direct electrophysiological evidence demonstrating the capability of tFUS in modulating the visual thalamus and its functional impact on interconnected cortical regions in a large mammalian model, paving the way for potential investigations for tFUS treating visual, sensory, and cognitive impairments.
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Kim S, Kwon N, Hossain MM, Bendig J, Konofagou EE. Displacement and functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging of displacement-guided focused ultrasound (FUS) neuromodulation in mice. Neuroimage 2024; 298:120768. [PMID: 39096984 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Focused ultrasound (FUS) stimulation is a promising neuromodulation technique with the merits of non-invasiveness, high spatial resolution, and deep penetration depth. However, simultaneous imaging of FUS-induced brain tissue displacement and the subsequent effect of FUS stimulation on brain hemodynamics has proven challenging thus far. In addition, earlier studies lack in situ confirmation of targeting except for the magnetic resonance imaging-guided FUS system-based studies. The purpose of this study is 1) to introduce a fully ultrasonic approach to in situ target, modulate neuronal activity, and monitor the resultant neuromodulation effect by respectively leveraging displacement imaging, FUS, and functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging, and 2) to investigate FUS-evoked cerebral blood volume (CBV) response and the relationship between CBV and displacement. We performed displacement imaging on craniotomized mice to confirm the in situ targeting for neuromodulation site. We recorded hemodynamic responses evoked by FUS while fUS imaging revealed an ipsilateral CBV increase that peaks at 4 s post-FUS. We report a stronger hemodynamic activation in the subcortical region than cortical, showing good agreement with a brain elasticity map that can also be obtained using a similar methodology. We observed dose-dependent CBV responses with peak CBV, activated area, and correlation coefficient increasing with the ultrasonic dose. Furthermore, by mapping displacement and hemodynamic activation, we found that displacement colocalized and linearly correlated with CBV increase. The findings presented herein demonstrated that FUS evokes ipsilateral hemodynamic activation in cortical and subcortical depths while the evoked hemodynamic responses colocalize and correlate with FUS-induced displacement. We anticipate that our findings will help consolidate accurate targeting as well as shedding light on one of the mechanisms behind FUS modulation, i.e., how FUS mechanically displaces brain tissue affecting cerebral hemodynamics and thereby its associated connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongyeon Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
| | - Nancy Kwon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
| | | | - Jonas Bendig
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
| | - Elisa E Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University; Department of Radiology, Columbia University.
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Murphy KR, Farrell JS, Bendig J, Mitra A, Luff C, Stelzer IA, Yamaguchi H, Angelakos CC, Choi M, Bian W, DiIanni T, Pujol EM, Matosevich N, Airan R, Gaudillière B, Konofagou EE, Butts-Pauly K, Soltesz I, de Lecea L. Optimized ultrasound neuromodulation for non-invasive control of behavior and physiology. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00493-8. [PMID: 39079529 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
Focused ultrasound can non-invasively modulate neural activity, but whether effective stimulation parameters generalize across brain regions and cell types remains unknown. We used focused ultrasound coupled with fiber photometry to identify optimal neuromodulation parameters for four different arousal centers of the brain in an effort to yield overt changes in behavior. Applying coordinate descent, we found that optimal parameters for excitation or inhibition are highly distinct, the effects of which are generally conserved across brain regions and cell types. Optimized stimulations induced clear, target-specific behavioral effects, whereas non-optimized protocols of equivalent energy resulted in substantially less or no change in behavior. These outcomes were independent of auditory confounds and, contrary to expectation, accompanied by a cyclooxygenase-dependent and prolonged reduction in local blood flow and temperature with brain-region-specific scaling. These findings demonstrate that carefully tuned and targeted ultrasound can exhibit powerful effects on complex behavior and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith R Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jordan S Farrell
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonas Bendig
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anish Mitra
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Charlotte Luff
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ina A Stelzer
- Department of Anesthesia, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hiroshi Yamaguchi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | | | - Mihyun Choi
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Wenjie Bian
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tommaso DiIanni
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Esther Martinez Pujol
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Noa Matosevich
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Raag Airan
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Brice Gaudillière
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elisa E Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kim Butts-Pauly
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ivan Soltesz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Luis de Lecea
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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He Z, Liu Q, Yang R, Zhou Y, Liu X, Deng H, Cong H, Liu Y, Liao L. Low-Intensity Ultrasound Tibial Nerve Stimulation Suppresses Bladder Activity in Rats. Neuromodulation 2024:S1094-7159(24)00133-8. [PMID: 39078346 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurom.2024.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Noninvasive neuromodulation, particularly through low-intensity ultrasound, holds promise in the fields of neuroscience and neuro-engineering. Ultrasound can stimulate the central nervous system to treat neurologic disorders of the brain and activate peripheral nerve activity. The aim of this study is to investigate the inhibitory effect of low-intensity ultrasonic tibial nerve stimulation on both the physiological state and the overactive bladder (OAB) model in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 28 female Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. Continuous transurethral instillation of 0.9% normal saline into the bladder was initially performed to stimulate physiological bladder activity. Subsequently, a solution containing 0.3% acetic acid dissolved in saline was instilled to induce rat models of OAB. The study comprised two phases: initial observation of bladder response to low-intensity ultrasound (1 MHz, 1 W/cm2, 50% duty cycle) in seven rats; subsequent exploration of ultrasound frequency (3 MHz) and intensity (2 W/cm2 and 3 W/cm2) effects in 21 rats. The intercontraction intervals (ICIs) were the primary outcome measure. Histologic analysis of tibial nerves and surrounding muscle tissues determined safe ultrasound parameters. RESULTS Low-intensity ultrasound tibial nerve stimulation significantly inhibited normal and OAB activity. Ultrasound stimulation at 1 MHz, 1 W/cm2, with a 50% duty cycle significantly prolonged the ICI in both normal (p < 0.0001) and OAB rats (p < 0.01), as did transitioning to a 3 MHz frequency (p = 0.001 for normal rats; p < 0.01 for OAB rats). Similarly, at an intensity of 2 W/cm2 and 1 MHz frequency with a 50% duty cycle, ultrasound stimulation significantly prolonged the ICI in both normal (p < 0.01) and OAB rats (p < 0.005). Furthermore, switching to a 3 W/cm2 ultrasound intensity also significantly extended the ICI in both normal (p < 0.05) and OAB rats (p = 0.01). However, after different ultrasound intensities and frequencies, there was no statistical difference in ICI ratios (preultrasound stimulation vs postultrasound stimulation/preultrasound stimulation ∗ 100%) in all rats (p > 0.05). Low-intensity ultrasound tibial nerve stimulation did not influence baseline pressure, threshold pressure, or maximum pressure. In addition, a latency period in bladder reflex inhibition was induced by low-intensity ultrasound tibial nerve stimulation in some rats. Histologic analysis indicated no evident nerve or muscle tissue damage or abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS This study confirmed the potential of transcutaneous ultrasound tibial nerve stimulation to improve bladder function. According to the findings, the ultrasonic intensities ranging from 1 to 3 W/cm2 and frequencies of 1 MHz and 3 MHz are both feasible and safe treatment parameters. This study portended the promise of low-intensity ultrasound tibial nerve stimulation as a treatment for OAB and provides a basis and reference for future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zitian He
- Department of Rehabilitation, Yuying Children's Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China; Department of Urology, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China; The Second Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qinggang Liu
- Department of Urology, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China; Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China; University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Ruiyao Yang
- Department of Urology, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Yongheng Zhou
- Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Urology, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China; University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Urology, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China; University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Han Deng
- Department of Urology, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China; School of Rehabilitation, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Huiling Cong
- Department of Urology, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China; School of Rehabilitation, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yixi Liu
- Department of Urology, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China; School of Rehabilitation, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Limin Liao
- Department of Rehabilitation, Yuying Children's Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China; Department of Urology, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China; The Second Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China; Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China; University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China; School of Rehabilitation, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
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Dagommer M, Daneshzand M, Nummemnaa A, Guerin B. Robust deep learning estimation of cortical bone porosity from MR T1-weighted images for individualized transcranial focused ultrasound planning. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.07.18.24310644. [PMID: 39072036 PMCID: PMC11275664 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.18.24310644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Objective Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is an emerging neuromodulation approach that has been demonstrated in animals but is difficult to translate to humans because of acoustic attenuation and scattering in the skull. Optimal dose delivery requires subject-specific skull porosity estimates which has traditionally been done using CT. We propose a deep learning (DL) estimation of skull porosity from T1-weighted MRI images which removes the need for radiation-inducing CT scans. Approach We evaluate the impact of different DL approaches, including network architecture, input size and dimensionality, multichannel inputs, data augmentation, and loss functions. We also propose back-propagation in the mask (BIM), a method whereby only voxels inside the skull mask contribute to training. We evaluate the robustness of the best model to input image noise and MRI acquisition parameters and propagate porosity estimation errors in thousands of beam propagation scenarios. Main results Our best performing model is a cGAN with a ResNet-9 generator with 3D 64×64×64 inputs trained with L1 and L2 losses. The model achieved a mean absolute error of 6.9% in the test set, compared to 9.5% with the pseudo-CT of Izquierdo et al. (38% improvement) and 9.4% with the generic pixel-to-pixel image translation cGAN pix2pix (36% improvement). Acoustic dose distributions in the thalamus were more accurate with our approach than with the pseudo-CT approach of both Burgos et al. and Izquierdo et al, resulting in near-optimal treatment planning and dose estimation at all frequencies compared to CT (reference). Significance Our DL approach porosity estimates with ~7% error, is robust to input image noise and MRI acquisition parameters (sequence, coils, field strength) and yields near-optimal treatment planning and dose estimates for both central (thalamus) and lateral brain targets (amygdala) in the 200-1000 kHz frequency range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Dagommer
- École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris (ESPCI), Paris France
| | - Mohammad Daneshzand
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown MA
| | - Aapo Nummemnaa
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown MA
| | - Bastien Guerin
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown MA
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Fan WY, Chen YM, Wang YF, Wang YQ, Hu JQ, Tang WX, Feng Y, Cheng Q, Xue L. L-Type Calcium Channel Modulates Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound-Induced Excitation in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:921-936. [PMID: 38498092 PMCID: PMC11250733 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01186-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
As a noninvasive technique, ultrasound stimulation is known to modulate neuronal activity both in vitro and in vivo. The latest explanation of this phenomenon is that the acoustic wave can activate the ion channels and further impact the electrophysiological properties of targeted neurons. However, the underlying mechanism of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS)-induced neuro-modulation effects is still unclear. Here, we characterize the excitatory effects of LIPUS on spontaneous activity and the intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis in cultured hippocampal neurons. By whole-cell patch clamp recording, we found that 15 min of 1-MHz LIPUS boosts the frequency of both spontaneous action potentials and spontaneous excitatory synaptic currents (sEPSCs) and also increases the amplitude of sEPSCs in hippocampal neurons. This phenomenon lasts for > 10 min after LIPUS exposure. Together with Ca2+ imaging, we clarified that LIPUS increases the [Ca2+]cyto level by facilitating L-type Ca2+ channels (LTCCs). In addition, due to the [Ca2+]cyto elevation by LIPUS exposure, the Ca2+-dependent CaMKII-CREB pathway can be activated within 30 min to further regulate the gene transcription and protein expression. Our work suggests that LIPUS regulates neuronal activity in a Ca2+-dependent manner via LTCCs. This may also explain the multi-activation effects of LIPUS beyond neurons. LIPUS stimulation potentiates spontaneous neuronal activity by increasing Ca2+ influx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yong Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yi-Ming Chen
- Institute of Acoustics, School of Physics Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200070, China
| | - Yi-Fan Wang
- Institute of Acoustics, School of Physics Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200070, China
| | - Yu-Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Jia-Qi Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Center for Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Pain Management, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Wen-Xu Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yi Feng
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Qian Cheng
- Institute of Acoustics, School of Physics Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200070, China.
- Shanghai Research Institute for Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Tongji University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
| | - Lei Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
- Research Institute of Intelligent Complex Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
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In A, Strohman A, Payne B, Legon W. Low-intensity focused ultrasound to the posterior insula reduces temporal summation of pain. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:911-924. [PMID: 39089647 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) are core brain regions involved in pain processing and central sensitization, a shared mechanism across various chronic pain conditions. Methods to modulate these regions may serve to reduce central sensitization, though it is unclear which target may be most efficacious for different measures of central sensitization. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS Investigate the effect of low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) to the anterior insula (AI), posterior insula (PI), or dACC on conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and temporal summation of pain (TSP). METHODS N = 16 volunteers underwent TSP and CPM pain tasks pre/post a 10 min LIFU intervention to either the AI, PI, dACC or Sham stimulation. Pain ratings were collected pre/post LIFU. RESULTS Only LIFU to the PI significantly attenuated pain ratings during the TSP protocol. No effects were found for the CPM task for any of the LIFU targets. LIFU pressure modulated group means but did not affect overall group differences. CONCLUSIONS LIFU to the PI reduced temporal summation of pain. This may, in part, be due to dosing (pressure) of LIFU. Inhibition of the PI with LIFU may be a future potential therapy in chronic pain populations demonstrating central sensitization. The minimal effective dose of LIFU for efficacious neuromodulation will help to translate LIFU for therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander In
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA
| | - Andrew Strohman
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA; Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA; Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA
| | - Brighton Payne
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA
| | - Wynn Legon
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA; Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA; Center for Human Neuroscience Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA; Center for Health Behaviors Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA; School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24016, USA; Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA.
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11
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Pellow C, Pichardo S, Pike GB. A systematic review of preclinical and clinical transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation and opportunities for functional connectomics. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:734-751. [PMID: 38880207 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound has surged forward as a non-invasive and disruptive tool for neuromodulation with applications in basic neuroscience research and the treatment of neurological and psychiatric conditions. OBJECTIVE To provide a comprehensive overview and update of preclinical and clinical transcranial low intensity ultrasound for neuromodulation and emphasize the emerging role of functional brain mapping to guide, better understand, and predict responses. METHODS A systematic review was conducted by searching the Web of Science and Scopus databases for studies on transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation, both in humans and animals. RESULTS 187 relevant studies were identified and reviewed, including 116 preclinical and 71 clinical reports with subjects belonging to diverse cohorts. Milestones of ultrasound neuromodulation are described within an overview of the broader landscape. General neural readouts and outcome measures are discussed, potential confounds are noted, and the emerging use of functional magnetic resonance imaging is highlighted. CONCLUSION Ultrasound neuromodulation has emerged as a powerful tool to study and treat a range of conditions and its combination with various neural readouts has significantly advanced this platform. In particular, the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging has yielded exciting inferences into ultrasound neuromodulation and has the potential to advance our understanding of brain function, neuromodulatory mechanisms, and ultimately clinical outcomes. It is anticipated that these preclinical and clinical trials are the first of many; that transcranial low intensity focused ultrasound, particularly in combination with functional magnetic resonance imaging, has the potential to enhance treatment for a spectrum of neurological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly Pellow
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada.
| | - Samuel Pichardo
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - G Bruce Pike
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
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12
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Daneshzand M, Guerin B, Kotlarz P, Chou T, Dougherty DD, Edlow BL, Nummenmaa A. Model-based navigation of transcranial focused ultrasound neuromodulation in humans: Application to targeting the amygdala and thalamus. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:958-969. [PMID: 39094682 PMCID: PMC11367617 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) neuromodulation has shown promise in animals but is challenging to translate to humans because of the thicker skull that heavily scatters ultrasound waves. OBJECTIVE We develop and disseminate a model-based navigation (MBN) tool for acoustic dose delivery in the presence of skull aberrations that is easy to use by non-specialists. METHODS We pre-compute acoustic beams for thousands of virtual transducer locations on the scalp of the subject under study. We use the hybrid angular spectrum solver mSOUND, which runs in ∼4 s per solve per CPU yielding pre-computation times under 1 h for scalp meshes with up to 4000 faces and a parallelization factor of 5. We combine this pre-computed set of beam solutions with optical tracking, thus allowing real-time display of the tFUS beam as the operator freely navigates the transducer around the subject' scalp. We assess the impact of MBN versus line-of-sight targeting (LOST) positioning in simulations of 13 subjects. RESULTS Our navigation tool has a display refresh rate of ∼10 Hz. In our simulations, MBN increased the acoustic dose in the thalamus and amygdala by 8-67 % compared to LOST and avoided complete target misses that affected 10-20 % of LOST cases. MBN also yielded a lower variability of the deposited dose across subjects than LOST. CONCLUSIONS MBN may yield greater and more consistent (less variable) ultrasound dose deposition than transducer placement with line-of-sight targeting, and thus could become a helpful tool to improve the efficacy of tFUS neuromodulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Daneshzand
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bastien Guerin
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Parker Kotlarz
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tina Chou
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Darin D Dougherty
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Brian L Edlow
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aapo Nummenmaa
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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13
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Feng R, Sheng H, Lian Y. Advances in using ultrasound to regulate the nervous system. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:2997-3006. [PMID: 38436788 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-024-07426-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Ultrasound is a mechanical vibration with a frequency greater than 20 kHz. Due to its high spatial resolution, good directionality, and convenient operation in neural regulation, it has recently received increasing attention from scientists. However, the mechanism by which ultrasound regulates the nervous system is still unclear. This article mainly explores the possible mechanisms of ultrasound's mechanical effects, cavitation effects, thermal effects, and the rise of sonogenetics. In addition, the essence of action potential and its relationship with ultrasound were also discussed. Traditional theory treats nerve impulses as pure electrical signals, similar to cable theory. However, this theory cannot explain the phenomenon of inductance and cell membrane bulging out during the propagation of action potential. Therefore, the flexoelectric effect of cell membrane and soliton model reveal that action potential may also be a mechanical wave. Finally, we also elaborated the therapeutic effect of ultrasound on nervous system disease such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Feng
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hanqing Sheng
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yajun Lian
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
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14
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Legon W, Strohman A, In A, Payne B. Noninvasive neuromodulation of subregions of the human insula differentially affect pain processing and heart-rate variability: a within-subjects pseudo-randomized trial. Pain 2024; 165:1625-1641. [PMID: 38314779 PMCID: PMC11189760 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The insula is an intriguing target for pain modulation. Unfortunately, it lies deep to the cortex making spatially specific noninvasive access difficult. Here, we leverage the high spatial resolution and deep penetration depth of low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) to nonsurgically modulate the anterior insula (AI) or posterior insula (PI) in humans for effect on subjective pain ratings, electroencephalographic (EEG) contact heat-evoked potentials, as well as autonomic measures including heart-rate variability (HRV). In a within-subjects, repeated-measures, pseudo-randomized trial design, 23 healthy volunteers received brief noxious heat pain stimuli to the dorsum of their right hand during continuous heart-rate, electrodermal, electrocardiography and EEG recording. Low-intensity focused ultrasound was delivered to the AI (anterior short gyrus), PI (posterior longus gyrus), or under an inert Sham condition. The primary outcome measure was pain rating. Low-intensity focused ultrasound to both AI and PI similarly reduced pain ratings but had differential effects on EEG activity. Low-intensity focused ultrasound to PI affected earlier EEG amplitudes, whereas LIFU to AI affected later EEG amplitudes. Only LIFU to the AI affected HRV as indexed by an increase in SD of N-N intervals and mean HRV low-frequency power. Taken together, LIFU is an effective noninvasive method to individually target subregions of the insula in humans for site-specific effects on brain biomarkers of pain processing and autonomic reactivity that translates to reduced perceived pain to a transient heat stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wynn Legon
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, United States
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Center for Human Neuroscience Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, United States
- Center for Health Behaviors Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Andrew Strohman
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Alexander In
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Brighton Payne
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, United States
- Center for Health Behaviors Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, United States
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15
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Gao H, Ramachandran S, Yu K, He B. Transcranial focused ultrasound activates feedforward and feedback cortico-thalamo-cortical pathways by selectively activating excitatory neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.26.600794. [PMID: 38979359 PMCID: PMC11230429 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.26.600794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (tFUS) has been proven capable of altering focal neuronal activities and neural circuits non-invasively in both animals and humans. The abilities of tFUS for cell-type selection within the targeted area like somatosensory cortex have been shown to be parameter related. However, how neuronal subpopulations across neural pathways are affected, for example how tFUS affected neuronal connections between brain areas remains unclear. In this study, multi-site intracranial recordings were used to quantify the neuronal responses to tFUS stimulation at somatosensory cortex (S1), motor cortex (M1) and posterior medial thalamic nucleus (POm) of cortico-thalamo-cortical (CTC) pathway. We found that when targeting at S1 or POm, only regular spiking units (RSUs, putative excitatory neurons) responded to specific tFUS parameters (duty cycle: 6%-60% and pulse repetition frequency: 1500 and 3000 Hz ) during sonication. RSUs from the directly connected area (POm or S1) showed a synchronized response, which changed the directional correlation between RSUs from POm and S1. The tFUS induced excitation of RSUs activated the feedforward and feedback loops between cortex and thalamus, eliciting delayed neuronal responses of RSUs and delayed activities of fast spiking units (FSUs) by affecting local network. Our findings indicated that tFUS can modulate the CTC pathway through both feedforward and feedback loops, which could influence larger cortical areas including motor cortex.
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16
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Ramachandran S, Gao H, Yttri E, Yu K, He B. An Investigation of Parameter-Dependent Cell-Type Specific Effects of Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Stimulation Using an Awake Head-Fixed Rodent Model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.24.600515. [PMID: 38979298 PMCID: PMC11230196 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.24.600515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is a promising neuromodulation technique able to target shallow and deep brain structures with high precision. Previous studies have demonstrated that tFUS stimulation responses are both cell-type specific and controllable through altering stimulation parameters. Specifically, tFUS can elicit time-locked neural activity in regular spiking units (RSUs) that is sensitive to increases in pulse repetition frequency (PRF), while time-locked responses are not seen in fast spiking units (FSUs). These findings suggest a unique capability of tFUS to alter circuit network dynamics with cell-type specificity; however, these results could be biased by the use of anesthesia, which significantly modulates neural activities. In this study, we develop an awake head-fixed rat model specifically designed for tFUS study, and address a key question if tFUS still has cell-type specificity under awake conditions. Using this novel animal model, we examined a series of PRFs and burst duty cycles (DCs) to determine their effects on neuronal subpopulations without anesthesia. We conclude that cell-type specific time-locked and delayed responses to tFUS as well as PRF and DC sensitivity are present in the awake animal model and that despite some differences in response, isoflurane anesthesia is not a major confound in studying the cell-type specificity of ultrasound neuromodulation. We further determine that, in an awake, head-fixed setting, the preferred PRF and DC for inducing time-locked excitation with our pulsed tFUS paradigm are 1500 Hz and 60%, respectively.
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17
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Olaitan GO, Ganesana M, Strohman A, Lynch WJ, Legon W, Jill Venton B. Focused Ultrasound Modulates Dopamine in a Mesolimbic Reward Circuit. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.13.580202. [PMID: 38979318 PMCID: PMC11230179 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.13.580202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a significant role in reward and motivation. Dysfunction in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway has been linked to a variety of psychiatric disorders, including addiction. Low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) has demonstrated effects on brain activity, but how LIFU affects dopamine neurotransmission is not known. Here, we applied three different intensities (6.5, 13, and 26 W/cm 2 I sppa ) of 2-minute LIFU to the prelimbic region (PLC) and measured dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry. Two minutes of LIFU sonication at 13 W/cm 2 to the PLC significantly reduced dopamine release by ∼ 50% for up to 2 hours. However, double the intensity (26 W/cm 2 ) resulted in less inhibition (∼30%), and half the intensity (6.5 W/cm 2 ) did not result in any inhibition of dopamine. Anatomical controls applying LIFU to the primary somatosensory cortex did not change NAc core dopamine, and applying LIFU to the PLC did not affect dopamine release in the caudate or NAc shell. Histological evaluations showed no evidence of cell damage or death. Modeling of temperature rise demonstrates a maximum temperature change of 0.5°C with 13 W/cm 2 , suggesting that modulation is not due to thermal mechanisms. These studies show that LIFU at a moderate intensity provides a noninvasive, high spatial resolution means to modulate specific mesolimbic circuits that could be used in future studies to target and repair pathways that are dysfunctional in addiction and other psychiatric diseases.
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18
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Kosnoff J, Yu K, Liu C, He B. Transcranial focused ultrasound to V5 enhances human visual motion brain-computer interface by modulating feature-based attention. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4382. [PMID: 38862476 PMCID: PMC11167030 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48576-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
A brain-computer interface (BCI) enables users to control devices with their minds. Despite advancements, non-invasive BCIs still exhibit high error rates, prompting investigation into the potential reduction through concurrent targeted neuromodulation. Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is an emerging non-invasive neuromodulation technology with high spatiotemporal precision. This study examines whether tFUS neuromodulation can improve BCI outcomes, and explores the underlying mechanism of action using high-density electroencephalography (EEG) source imaging (ESI). As a result, V5-targeted tFUS significantly reduced the error in a BCI speller task. Source analyses revealed a significantly increase in theta and alpha activities in the tFUS condition at both V5 and downstream in the dorsal visual processing pathway. Correlation analysis indicated that the connection within the dorsal processing pathway was preserved during tFUS stimulation, while the ventral connection was weakened. These findings suggest that V5-targeted tFUS enhances feature-based attention to visual motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Kosnoff
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15237, USA
| | - Kai Yu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15237, USA
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15237, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Bin He
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15237, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15237, USA.
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19
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Hou JF, Nayeem MOG, Caplan KA, Ruesch EA, Caban-Murillo A, Criado-Hidalgo E, Ornellas SB, Williams B, Pearce AA, Dagdeviren HE, Surets M, White JA, Shapiro MG, Wang F, Ramirez S, Dagdeviren C. An implantable piezoelectric ultrasound stimulator (ImPULS) for deep brain activation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4601. [PMID: 38834558 PMCID: PMC11150473 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48748-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Precise neurostimulation can revolutionize therapies for neurological disorders. Electrode-based stimulation devices face challenges in achieving precise and consistent targeting due to the immune response and the limited penetration of electrical fields. Ultrasound can aid in energy propagation, but transcranial ultrasound stimulation in the deep brain has limited spatial resolution caused by bone and tissue scattering. Here, we report an implantable piezoelectric ultrasound stimulator (ImPULS) that generates an ultrasonic focal pressure of 100 kPa to modulate the activity of neurons. ImPULS is a fully-encapsulated, flexible piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer that incorporates a biocompatible piezoceramic, potassium sodium niobate [(K,Na)NbO3]. The absence of electrochemically active elements poses a new strategy for achieving long-term stability. We demonstrated that ImPULS can i) excite neurons in a mouse hippocampal slice ex vivo, ii) activate cells in the hippocampus of an anesthetized mouse to induce expression of activity-dependent gene c-Fos, and iii) stimulate dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta to elicit time-locked modulation of nigrostriatal dopamine release. This work introduces a non-genetic ultrasound platform for spatially-localized neural stimulation and exploration of basic functions in the deep brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason F Hou
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | | | - Kian A Caplan
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Evan A Ruesch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
| | - Albit Caban-Murillo
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
| | - Ernesto Criado-Hidalgo
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Sarah B Ornellas
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Brandon Williams
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Neurophotonics Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Ayeilla A Pearce
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Huseyin E Dagdeviren
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, 34093, Turkey
| | - Michelle Surets
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
| | - John A White
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Neurophotonics Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Mikhail G Shapiro
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Steve Ramirez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
| | - Canan Dagdeviren
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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20
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Song W, Jayaprakash N, Saleknezhad N, Puleo C, Al-Abed Y, Martin JH, Zanos S. Transspinal Focused Ultrasound Suppresses Spinal Reflexes in Healthy Rats. Neuromodulation 2024; 27:614-624. [PMID: 37530695 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurom.2023.04.476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Low-intensity, focused ultrasound (FUS) is an emerging noninvasive neuromodulation approach, with improved spatial and temporal resolution and penetration depth compared to other noninvasive electrical stimulation strategies. FUS has been used to modulate circuits in the brain and the peripheral nervous system, however, its potential to modulate spinal circuits is unclear. In this study, we assessed the effect of trans-spinal FUS (tsFUS) on spinal reflexes in healthy rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS tsFUS targeting different spinal segments was delivered for 1 minute, under anesthesia. Monosynaptic H-reflex of the sciatic nerve, polysynaptic flexor reflex of the sural nerve, and withdrawal reflex tested with a hot plate were measured before, during, and after tsFUS. RESULTS tsFUS reversibly suppresses the H-reflex in a spinal segment-, acoustic pressure- and pulse-repetition frequency (PRF)-dependent manner. tsFUS with high PRF augments the degree of homosynaptic depression of the H-reflex observed with paired stimuli. It suppresses the windup of components of the flexor reflex associated with slower, C-afferent, but not faster, A- afferent fibers. Finally, it increases the latency of the withdrawal reflex. tsFUS does not elicit neuronal loss in the spinal cord. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides evidence that tsFUS reversibly suppresses spinal reflexes and suggests that tsFUS could be a safe and effective strategy for spinal cord neuromodulation in disorders associated with hyperreflexia, including spasticity after spinal cord injury and painful syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiguo Song
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
| | - Naveen Jayaprakash
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
| | - Nafiseh Saleknezhad
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
| | - Chris Puleo
- General Electric Research, Niskayuna, NY, USA
| | - Yousef Al-Abed
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
| | - John H Martin
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, Center for Discovery and Innovation, City University of New York School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stavros Zanos
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA; Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY; Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, Manhasset, NY.
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21
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Ma X, Wang X, Zhu K, Ma R, Chu F, Liu X, Zhang S, Yin T, Zhou X, Liu Z. Study on the Role of Physical Fields in TMAS to Modulate Synaptic Plasticity in Mice. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2024; 71:1531-1541. [PMID: 38117631 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2023.3342012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Transcranial magneto-acoustic stimulation (TMAS) is a composite technique combining static magnetic and coupled electric fields with transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) and has shown advantages in neuromodulation. However, the role of these physical fields in neuromodulation is unclear. Synaptic plasticity is the cellular basis for learning and memory. In this paper, we varied the intensity of static magnetic, electric and ultrasonic fields respectively to investigate the modulation of synaptic plasticity by these physical fields. METHODS There are control, static magnetic field (0.1 T/0.2 T), TUS (0.15/0.3 MPa), and TMAS (0.15 MPa + 0.2 V/m, 0.3 MPa + 0.2 V/m, 0.3 MPa + 0.4 V/m) groups. Hippocampal areas were stimulated at 5 min daily for 7 days and in vivo electrophysiological experiments were performed. RESULTS TMAS induced greater LTP, LTD, and paired-pulse ratio (PPR) than TUS, reflecting that TMAS has a more significant modulation in both long- and short- term synaptic plasticity. In TMAS, a doubling of the electric field amplitude increases LTP, LTD and PPR to a greater extent than a doubling of the acoustic pressure. Increasing the static magnetic field intensity has no significant effect on the modulation of synaptic plasticity. CONCLUSION This paper argues that electric fields should be the main reason for the difference in modulation between TMAS and TUS and that changing the amplitude of the electric field affected the modulation of TMAS more than changing the acoustic pressure. SIGNIFICANCE This study elucidates the roles of the physical fields in TMAS and provides a parameterisation way to guide TMAS applications based on the dominant roles of the physical fields.
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Meng W, Lin Z, Lu Y, Long X, Meng L, Su C, Wang Z, Niu L. Spatiotemporal Distributions of Acoustic Propagation in Skull During Ultrasound Neuromodulation. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2024; 71:584-595. [PMID: 38557630 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2024.3383027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
There is widespread interest and concern about the evidence and hypothesis that the auditory system is involved in ultrasound neuromodulation. We have addressed this problem by performing acoustic shear wave simulations in mouse skull and behavioral experiments in deaf mice. The simulation results showed that shear waves propagating along the skull did not reach sufficient acoustic pressure in the auditory cortex to modulate neurons. Behavioral experiments were subsequently performed to awaken anesthetized mice with ultrasound targeting the motor cortex or ventral tegmental area (VTA). The experimental results showed that ultrasound stimulation (US) of the target areas significantly increased arousal scores even in deaf mice, whereas the loss of ultrasound gel abolished the effect. Immunofluorescence staining also showed that ultrasound can modulate neurons in the target area, whereas neurons in the auditory cortex required the involvement of the normal auditory system for activation. In summary, the shear waves propagating along the skull cannot reach the auditory cortex and induce neuronal activation. Ultrasound neuromodulation-induced arousal behavior needs direct action on functionally relevant stimulation targets in the absence of auditory system participation.
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Bancel T, Béranger B, Daniel M, Didier M, Santin M, Rachmilevitch I, Shapira Y, Tanter M, Bardinet E, Fernandez Vidal S, Attali D, Galléa C, Dizeux A, Vidailhet M, Lehéricy S, Grabli D, Pyatigorskaya N, Karachi C, Hainque E, Aubry JF. Sustained reduction of essential tremor with low-power non-thermal transcranial focused ultrasound stimulations in humans. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:636-647. [PMID: 38734066 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique; when skull aberrations are compensated for, this technique allows, with millimetric accuracy, circumvention of the invasive surgical procedure associated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) and the limited spatial specificity of transcranial magnetic stimulation. OBJECTIVE /hypothesis: We hypothesize that MR-guided low-power TUS can induce a sustained decrease of tremor power in patients suffering from medically refractive essential tremor. METHODS The dominant hand only was targeted, and two anatomical sites were sonicated in this exploratory study: the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (VIM) and the dentato-rubro-thalamic tract (DRT). Patients (N = 9) were equipped with MR-compatible accelerometers attached to their hands to monitor their tremor in real-time during TUS. RESULTS VIM neurostimulations followed by a low-duty cycle (5 %) DRT stimulation induced a substantial decrease in the tremor power in four patients, with a minimum of 89.9 % reduction when compared with the baseline power a few minutes after the DRT stimulation. The only patient stimulated in the VIM only and with a low duty cycle (5 %) also experienced a sustained reduction of the tremor (up to 93.4 %). Four patients (N = 4) did not respond. The temperature at target was 37.2 ± 1.4 °C compared to 36.8 ± 1.4 °C for a 3 cm away control point. CONCLUSIONS MR-guided low power TUS can induce a substantial and sustained decrease of tremor power. Follow-up studies need to be conducted to reproduce the effect and better to understand the variability of the response amongst patients. MR thermometry during neurostimulations showed no significant thermal rise, supporting a mechanical effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Bancel
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Benoît Béranger
- ICM-Paris Brain Institute, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche-CENIR, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Maxime Daniel
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Mélanie Didier
- ICM-Paris Brain Institute, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche-CENIR, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Santin
- ICM-Paris Brain Institute, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche-CENIR, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Mickael Tanter
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Eric Bardinet
- ICM-Paris Brain Institute, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche-CENIR, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Sara Fernandez Vidal
- ICM-Paris Brain Institute, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche-CENIR, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - David Attali
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL University, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte Anne, F-75014, Paris, France
| | - Cécile Galléa
- ICM-Paris Brain Institute, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche-CENIR, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Dizeux
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Marie Vidailhet
- ICM-Paris Brain Institute, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche-CENIR, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013, Paris, France; Department of Neurology, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Lehéricy
- ICM-Paris Brain Institute, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche-CENIR, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013, Paris, France; Department of Neuroradiology, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - David Grabli
- Department of Neurology, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Nadya Pyatigorskaya
- ICM-Paris Brain Institute, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche-CENIR, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013, Paris, France; Department of Neuroradiology, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Carine Karachi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Elodie Hainque
- Department of Neurology, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Jean-François Aubry
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR 8063, PSL University, Paris, France.
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Kim S, Kwon N, Hossain MM, Bendig J, Konofagou EE. Functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging of displacement-guided focused ultrasound (FUS) neuromodulation in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.29.587355. [PMID: 38617295 PMCID: PMC11014490 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.29.587355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Focused ultrasound (FUS) stimulation is a promising neuromodulation technique with the merits of non-invasiveness, high spatial resolution, and deep penetration depth. However, simultaneous imaging of FUS-induced brain tissue displacement and the subsequent effect of FUS stimulation on brain hemodynamics has proven challenging thus far. In addition, earlier studies lack in situ confirmation of targeting except for the magnetic resonance imaging-guided FUS system-based studies. The purpose of this study is 1) to introduce a fully ultrasonic approach to in situ target, modulate neuronal activity, and monitor the resultant neuromodulation effect by respectively leveraging displacement imaging, FUS, and functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging, and 2) to investigate FUS-evoked cerebral blood volume (CBV) response and the relationship between CBV and displacement. We performed displacement imaging on craniotomized mice to confirm the in targeting for neuromodulation site. We recorded hemodynamic responses evoked by FUS and fUS revealed an ipsilateral CBV increase that peaks at 4 s post-FUS. We saw a stronger hemodynamic activation in the subcortical region than cortical, showing good agreement with the brain elasticity map that can also be obtained using a similar methodology. We observed dose-dependent CBV response with peak CBV, activated area, and correlation coefficient increasing with ultrasonic dose. Furthermore, by mapping displacement and hemodynamic activation, we found that displacement colocalizes and linearly correlates with CBV increase. The findings presented herein demonstrated that FUS evokes ipsilateral hemodynamic activation in cortical and subcortical depths and the evoked hemodynamic responses colocalized and correlate with FUS-induced displacement. We anticipate that our findings will help consolidate accurate targeting as well as an understanding of how FUS displaces brain tissue and affects cerebral hemodynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongyeon Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
| | - Nancy Kwon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
| | | | - Jonas Bendig
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
| | - Elisa E. Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University
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25
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Lin CW, Cheng MH, Fan CH, Chen HH, Yeh CK. Focused ultrasound stimulation of infralimbic cortex attenuates reinstatement of methamphetamine-induced conditioned place preference in rats. Neurotherapeutics 2024; 21:e00328. [PMID: 38355360 PMCID: PMC10937235 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurot.2024.e00328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine (MA) use disorder poses significant challenges to both the affected individuals and society. Current non-drug therapies like transcranial direct-current stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation have limitations due to their invasive nature and limited reach to deeper brain areas. Transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS) is gaining attention as a noninvasive option with precise spatial targeting, able to affect deeper areas of the brain. This research focused on assessing the effectiveness of FUS in influencing the infralimbic cortex (IL) to prevent the recurrence of MA-seeking behavior, using the conditioned place preference (CPP) method in rats. The study involved twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats. Neuronal activation by FUS was first examined via electromyography (EMG). Rats received alternately with MA or saline, and confined to one of two distinctive compartments in a three compartment apparatus over a 4-day period. After CPP test, extinction, the first reinstatement, and extinction again, FUS was applied to IL prior to the second MA priming-induced reinstatement. Safety assessments were conducted through locomotor and histological function examinations. EMG data confirmed the effectiveness of FUS in activating neurons. Significant attenuation of reinstatement of MA CPP was found, along with successful targeting of the IL region, confirmed through acoustic field scanning, c-Fos immunohistochemistry, and Evans blue dye staining. No damage to brain tissue or impaired locomotor activity was observed. The results of the study indicate that applying FUS to the IL markedly reduced the recurrence of MA seeking behavior, without harming brain tissue or impairing motor skills. This suggests that FUS could be a promising method for treating MA use disorder, with the infralimbic cortex being an effective target for FUS in preventing MA relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Wei Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Min-Hsuan Cheng
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Hsiang Fan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Hwei-Hsien Chen
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan; Institute of Neuroscience, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Program for Aging, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Chih-Kuang Yeh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
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26
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Mesik L, Parkins S, Severin D, Grier BD, Ewall G, Kotha S, Wesselborg C, Moreno C, Jaoui Y, Felder A, Huang B, Johnson MB, Harrigan TP, Knight AE, Lani SW, Lemaire T, Kirkwood A, Hwang GM, Lee HK. Transcranial Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Stimulation of the Visual Thalamus Produces Long-Term Depression of Thalamocortical Synapses in the Adult Visual Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0784232024. [PMID: 38316559 PMCID: PMC10941064 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0784-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (tFUS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique, which can penetrate deeper and modulate neural activity with a greater spatial resolution (on the order of millimeters) than currently available noninvasive brain stimulation methods, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). While there are several studies demonstrating the ability of tFUS to modulate neuronal activity, it is unclear whether it can be used for producing long-term plasticity as needed to modify circuit function, especially in adult brain circuits with limited plasticity such as the thalamocortical synapses. Here we demonstrate that transcranial low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) stimulation of the visual thalamus (dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, dLGN), a deep brain structure, leads to NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent long-term depression of its synaptic transmission onto layer 4 neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) of adult mice of both sexes. This change is not accompanied by large increases in neuronal activity, as visualized using the cFos Targeted Recombination in Active Populations (cFosTRAP2) mouse line, or activation of microglia, which was assessed with IBA-1 staining. Using a model (SONIC) based on the neuronal intramembrane cavitation excitation (NICE) theory of ultrasound neuromodulation, we find that the predicted activity pattern of dLGN neurons upon sonication is state-dependent with a range of activity that falls within the parameter space conducive for inducing long-term synaptic depression. Our results suggest that noninvasive transcranial LIFU stimulation has a potential for recovering long-term plasticity of thalamocortical synapses in the postcritical period adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Mesik
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Samuel Parkins
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Cell Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Daniel Severin
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Bryce D Grier
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Gabrielle Ewall
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Sumasri Kotha
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Christian Wesselborg
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Cell Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Cristian Moreno
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Yanis Jaoui
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Adrianna Felder
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Brian Huang
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Marina B Johnson
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Timothy P Harrigan
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Anna E Knight
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Shane W Lani
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Théo Lemaire
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York 10016
| | - Alfredo Kirkwood
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Grace M Hwang
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Hey-Kyoung Lee
- Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
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27
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Zadeh AK, Raghuram H, Shrestha S, Kibreab M, Kathol I, Martino D, Pike GB, Pichardo S, Monchi O. The effect of transcranial ultrasound pulse repetition frequency on sustained inhibition in the human primary motor cortex: A double-blind, sham-controlled study. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:476-484. [PMID: 38621645 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation hold promise for inducing brain plasticity. However, their limited precision may hamper certain applications. In contrast, Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation (TUS), known for its precision and deep brain targeting capabilities, requires further investigation to establish its efficacy in producing enduring effects for treating neurological and psychiatric disorders. OBJECTIVE To investigate the enduring effects of different pulse repetition frequencies (PRF) of TUS on motor corticospinal excitability. METHODS T1-, T2-weighted, and zero echo time magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired from 21 neurologically healthy participants for neuronavigation, skull reconstruction, and the performance of transcranial ultrasound and thermal modelling. The effects of three different TUS PRFs (10, 100, and 1000 Hz) with a constant duty cycle of 10 % on corticospinal excitability in the primary motor cortex were assessed using TMS-induced motor evoked potentials (MEPs). Each PRF and sham condition was evaluated on separate days, with measurements taken 5-, 30-, and 60-min post-TUS. RESULTS A significant decrease in MEP amplitude was observed with a PRF of 10 Hz (p = 0.007), which persisted for at least 30 min, and with a PRF of 100 Hz (p = 0.001), lasting over 60 min. However, no significant changes were found for the PRF of 1000 Hz and the sham conditions. CONCLUSION This study highlights the significance of PRF selection in TUS and underscores its potential as a non-invasive approach to reduce corticospinal excitability, offering valuable insights for future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali K Zadeh
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | | | - Shirshak Shrestha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mekale Kibreab
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Iris Kathol
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Davide Martino
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - G Bruce Pike
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Samuel Pichardo
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Oury Monchi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Radiology, Radio-oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Université de Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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28
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Wen Y, Lin M, Liu J, Tang J, Qi X. Low-intensity ultrasound activates transmembrane chloride flow through CFTR. Biochem Biophys Rep 2024; 37:101604. [PMID: 38188360 PMCID: PMC10767314 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2023.101604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound has been demonstrated to activate mechanosensitive channels, which is considered the main mechanism of ultrasound neuromodulation. Currently, all channels that have been shown to be sensitive to ultrasound are cation channels. In addition to cation channels, anion channels also play indispensable roles in neural function. However, there have been no research on ultrasound regulation of anion channels until now. If anion channels can be activated by ultrasound as well, they will inevitably lead to more versatility in ultrasound neuromodulation. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane transduction regulator (CFTR) has been demonstrated to be a mechanically sensitive channel, mediating anionic transmembrane flow. To identify that CFTR is sensitive to ultrasound, CFTR was exogenously expressed in HEK293T cells and was stimulated by low intensity ultrasound. Outward currents in CFTR-expressed HEK293T cells were observed by using whole-cell patch clamp when ultrasound (0.8 MHz, 0.20 MPa) was delivered to these cells. These currents were abolished when the CFTR inhibitor (GlyH101) was applied to the solution or chloride ions was cleared from the solution. Meanwhile, the amplitude of these currents increased when the CFTR agonist (Forskolin) was applied. These results suggest that ultrasound stimuli can activate the CFTR to mediate transmembrane flowing of chloride ions at the single cell level. These findings may expand the application of ultrasound in the neuromodulation field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinchuan Wen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Manjia Lin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jie Tang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaofei Qi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
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29
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Bao S, Kim H, Shettigar NB, Li Y, Lei Y. Personalized depth-specific neuromodulation of the human primary motor cortex via ultrasound. J Physiol 2024; 602:933-948. [PMID: 38358314 DOI: 10.1113/jp285613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-invasive brain stimulation has the potential to boost neuronal plasticity in the primary motor cortex (M1), but it remains unclear whether the stimulation of both superficial and deep layers of the human motor cortex can effectively promote M1 plasticity. Here, we leveraged transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) to precisely target M1 circuits at depths of approximately 5 mm and 16 mm from the cortical surface. Initially, we generated computed tomography images from each participant's individual anatomical magnetic resonance images (MRI), which allowed for the generation of accurate acoustic simulations. This process ensured that personalized TUS was administered exactly to the targeted depths within M1 for each participant. Using long-term depression and long-term potentiation (LTD/LTP) theta-burst stimulation paradigms, we examined whether TUS over distinct depths of M1 could induce LTD/LTP plasticity. Our findings indicated that continuous theta-burst TUS-induced LTD-like plasticity with both superficial and deep M1 stimulation, persisting for at least 30 min. In comparison, sham TUS did not significantly alter M1 excitability. Moreover, intermittent theta-burst TUS did not result in the induction of LTP- or LTD-like plasticity with either superficial or deep M1 stimulation. These findings suggest that the induction of M1 plasticity can be achieved with ultrasound stimulation targeting distinct depths of M1, which is contingent on the characteristics of TUS. KEY POINTS: The study integrated personalized transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) with electrophysiology to determine whether TUS targeting superficial and deep layers of the human motor cortex (M1) could elicit long-term depression (LTD) or long-term potentiation (LTP) plastic changes. Utilizing acoustic simulations derived from individualized pseudo-computed tomography scans, we ensured the precision of TUS delivery to the intended M1 depths for each participant. Continuous theta-burst TUS targeting both the superficial and deep layers of M1 resulted in the emergence of LTD-like plasticity, lasting for at least 30 min. Administering intermittent theta-burst TUS to both the superficial and deep layers of M1 did not lead to the induction of LTP- or LTD-like plastic changes. We suggest that theta-burst TUS targeting distinct depths of M1 can induce plasticity, but this effect is dependent on specific TUS parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shancheng Bao
- Program of Motor Neuroscience, Department of Kinesiology & Sport Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Hakjoo Kim
- Program of Motor Neuroscience, Department of Kinesiology & Sport Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Nandan B Shettigar
- Program of Motor Neuroscience, Department of Kinesiology & Sport Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Yuming Lei
- Program of Motor Neuroscience, Department of Kinesiology & Sport Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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Riis TS, Losser AJ, Kassavetis P, Moretti P, Kubanek J. Noninvasive modulation of essential tremor with focused ultrasonic waves. J Neural Eng 2024; 21:016033. [PMID: 38335553 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ad27ef] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Objective: Transcranial focused low-intensity ultrasound has the potential to noninvasively modulate confined regions deep inside the human brain, which could provide a new tool for causal interrogation of circuit function in humans. However, it has been unclear whether the approach is potent enough to modulate behavior.Approach: To test this, we applied low-intensity ultrasound to a deep brain thalamic target, the ventral intermediate nucleus, in three patients with essential tremor.Main results: Brief, 15 s stimulations of the target at 10% duty cycle with low-intensity ultrasound, repeated less than 30 times over a period of 90 min, nearly abolished tremor (98% and 97% tremor amplitude reduction) in 2 out of 3 patients. The effect was observed within seconds of the stimulation onset and increased with ultrasound exposure time. The effect gradually vanished following the stimulation, suggesting that the stimulation was safe with no harmful long-term consequences detected.Significance: This result demonstrates that low-intensity focused ultrasound can robustly modulate deep brain regions in humans with notable effects on overt motor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas S Riis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States of America
| | - Adam J Losser
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States of America
| | - Panagiotis Kassavetis
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, United States of America
| | - Paolo Moretti
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, United States of America
- George E. Wahlen, VA, Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT 84148, United States of America
| | - Jan Kubanek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States of America
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Shen Y, Jethe JV, Hehir J, Amaral MM, Ren C, Hao S, Zhou C, Fisher JAN. Label free, capillary-scale blood flow mapping in vivo reveals that low intensity focused ultrasound evokes persistent dilation in cortical microvasculature. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.08.579513. [PMID: 38370686 PMCID: PMC10871316 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.08.579513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Non-invasive, low intensity focused ultrasound (FUS) is an emerging neuromodulation technique that offers the potential for precision, personalized therapy. An increasing body of research has identified mechanosensitive ion channels that can be modulated by FUS and support acute electrical activity in neurons. However, neuromodulatory effects that persist from hours to days have also been reported. The brain's ability to provide targeted blood flow to electrically active regions involve a multitude of non-neuronal cell types and signaling pathways in the cerebral vasculature; an open question is whether persistent effects can be attributed, at least partly, to vascular mechanisms. Using a novel in vivo optical approach, we found that microvascular responses, unlike larger vessels which prior investigations have explored, exhibit persistent dilation. This finding and approach offers a heretofore unseen aspect of the effects of FUS in vivo and indicate that concurrent changes in neurovascular function may partially underly persistent neuromodulatory effects.
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Liu J, You Q, Liang F, Ma L, Zhu L, Wang C, Yang Y. Ultrasound-nanovesicles interplay for theranostics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 205:115176. [PMID: 38199256 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.115176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Nanovesicles (NVs) are widely used in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases due to their excellent vascular permeability, good biocompatibility, high loading capacity, and easy functionalization. However, their yield and in vivo penetration depth limitations and their complex preparation processes still constrain their application and development. Ultrasound, as a fundamental external stimulus with deep tissue penetration, concentrated energy sources, and good safety, has been proven to be a patient-friendly and highly efficient strategy to overcome the restrictions of traditional clinical medicine. Recent research has shown that ultrasound can drive the generation of NVs, increase their yield, simplify their preparation process, and provide direct therapeutic effects and intelligent control to enhance the therapeutic effect of NVs. In addition, NVs, as excellent drug carriers, can enhance the targeting efficiency of ultrasound-based sonodynamic therapy or sonogenetic regulation and improve the accuracy of ultrasound imaging. This review provides a detailed introduction to the classification, generation, and modification strategies of NVs, emphasizing the impact of ultrasound on the formation of NVs and summarizing the enhanced treatment and diagnostic effects of NVs combined with ultrasound for various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyi Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qing You
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Fuming Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China; Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Lilusi Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ling Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Chen Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Yanlian Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Yu K, Schmitt S, Ni Y, Crane EC, Smith MA, He B. Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Remotely Modulates Extrastriate Visual Cortex with Subregion Specificity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.20.576476. [PMID: 38328120 PMCID: PMC10849517 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.20.576476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) has emerged as a powerful neuromodulation tool characterized by its deep penetration and precise spatial targeting to influence neural activity. Our study directed low-intensity tFUS stimulation onto a region of prefrontal cortex (the frontal eye field, or FEF) of a rhesus macaque to examine its impact on a remote site, the extrastriate visual cortex (area V4). This pair of cortical regions form a top-down modulatory circuit that has been studied extensively with electrical microstimulation. To measure the impact of tFUS stimulation, we recorded local field potentials (LFPs) and multi-unit spiking activities from a multi-electrode array implanted in the visual cortex. To deliver tFUS stimulation, we leveraged a customized 128-element random array ultrasound transducer with improved spatial targeting. We observed that tFUS stimulation in FEF produced modulation of V4 neuronal activity, either through enhancement or suppression, dependent on the pulse repetition frequency of the tFUS stimulation. Electronically steering the transcranial ultrasound focus through the targeted FEF cortical region produced changes in the level of modulation, indicating that the tFUS stimulation was spatially targeted within FEF. Modulation of V4 activity was confined to specific frequency bands, and this modulation was dependent on the presence or absence of a visual stimulus during tFUS stimulation. A control study targeting the insula produced no effect, emphasizing the region-specific nature of tFUS neuromodulation. Our findings shed light on the capacity of tFUS to modulate specific neural pathways and provide a comprehensive understanding of its potential applications for neuromodulation within brain networks.
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Qin PP, Jin M, Xia AW, Li AS, Lin TT, Liu Y, Kan RL, Zhang BB, Kranz GS. The effectiveness and safety of low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation: A systematic review of human and animal studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 156:105501. [PMID: 38061596 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation (LITUS) is a novel non-invasive neuromodulation technique. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate current evidence on the efficacy and safety of LITUS neuromodulation. Five databases were searched from inception to May 31, 2023. Randomized controlled human trials and controlled animal studies were included. The neuromodulation effects of LITUS on clinical or pre-clinical, neurophysiological, neuroimaging, histological and biochemical outcomes, and adverse events were summarized. In total, 11 human studies and 44 animal studies were identified. LITUS demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, pain, sleep disorders and hypertension. LITUS-related changes in neuronal structure and cortical activity were found. From histological and biochemical perspectives, prominent findings included suppressing the inflammatory response and facilitating neurogenesis. No adverse effects were reported in controlled animal studies included in our review, while reversible headache, nausea, and vomiting were reported in a few human subjects. Overall, LITUS alleviates various symptoms and modulates associated brain circuits without major side effects. Future research needs to establish a solid therapeutic framework for LITUS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penny Ping Qin
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Minxia Jin
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China; Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Adam Weili Xia
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Ami Sinman Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Tim Tianze Lin
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Yuchen Liu
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Laidi Kan
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Bella Bingbing Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Georg S Kranz
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China; Mental Health Research Center (MHRC), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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35
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Hwang S, Jun SB. Ultrasound neuromodulation of cultured hippocampal neurons. Biomed Eng Lett 2024; 14:79-89. [PMID: 38186947 PMCID: PMC10769976 DOI: 10.1007/s13534-023-00314-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound is becoming an emerging and promising method for neuromodulation due to its advantage of noninvasiveness and its high spatial resolution. However, the underlying principles of ultrasound neuromodulation have not yet been elucidated. We have herein developed a new in vitro setup to study the ultrasonic neuromodulation, and examined various parameters of ultrasound to verify the effective conditions to evoke the neural activity. Neurons were stimulated with 0.5 MHz center frequency ultrasound, and the action potentials were recorded from rat hippocampal neural cells cultured on microelectrode arrays. As the intensity of ultrasound increased, the neuronal activity also increased. There was a notable and significant increase in both the spike rate and the number of bursts at 50% duty cycle, 1 kHz pulse repetition frequency, and the acoustic intensities of 7.6 W/cm2 and 3.8 W/cm2 in terms of spatial-peak pulse-average intensity and spatial-peak temporal-average intensity, respectively. In addition, the impact of ultrasonic neuromodulation was assessed in the presence of a gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) receptor antagonist to exclude the effect of activated inhibitory neurons. Interestingly, it is noteworthy that the predominant neuromodulatory effects of ultrasound disappeared when the GABAA blocker was introduced, suggesting the potential of ultrasonic stimulation specifically targeting inhibitory neurons. The experimental setup proposed herein could serve as a useful tool for the clarification of the mechanisms underlying the electrophysiological effects of ultrasound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seoyoung Hwang
- Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Ewha Womans University, 52 Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03760 Republic of Korea
- Seoul National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Beom Jun
- Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Ewha Womans University, 52 Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03760 Republic of Korea
- Graduate Program in Smart Factory, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Guo H, Salahshoor H, Wu D, Yoo S, Sato T, Tsao DY, Shapiro MG. Effects of focused ultrasound in a "clean" mouse model of ultrasonic neuromodulation. iScience 2023; 26:108372. [PMID: 38047084 PMCID: PMC10690554 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies on ultrasonic neuromodulation (UNM) in rodents have shown that focused ultrasound (FUS) can activate peripheral auditory pathways, leading to off-target and brain-wide excitation, which obscures the direct activation of the target area by FUS. To address this issue, we developed a new mouse model, the double transgenic Pou4f3+/DTR × Thy1-GCaMP6s, which allows for inducible deafening using diphtheria toxin and minimizes off-target effects of UNM while allowing effects on neural activity to be visualized with fluorescent calcium imaging. Using this model, we found that the auditory confounds caused by FUS can be significantly reduced or eliminated within a certain pressure range. At higher pressures, FUS can result in focal fluorescence dips at the target, elicit non-auditory sensory confounds, and damage tissue, leading to spreading depolarization. Under the acoustic conditions we tested, we did not observe direct calcium responses in the mouse cortex. Our findings provide a cleaner animal model for UNM and sonogenetics research, establish a parameter range within which off-target effects are confidently avoided, and reveal the non-auditory side effects of higher-pressure stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongsun Guo
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Hossein Salahshoor
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Di Wu
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Sangjin Yoo
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Tomokazu Sato
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Doris Y. Tsao
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Mikhail G. Shapiro
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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He J, Zhu Y, Wu C, Wu J, Chen Y, Yuan M, Cheng Z, Zeng L, Ji X. Transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation facilitates isoflurane-induced general anesthesia recovery and improves cognition in mice. ULTRASONICS 2023; 135:107132. [PMID: 37604030 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2023.107132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Delayed arousal and cognitive dysfunction are common, especially in older patients after general anesthesia (GA). Elevating central nervous system serotonin (5-HT) levels can promote recovery from GA and increase synaptic plasticity to improve cognition. Ultrasound neuromodulation has become a noninvasive physical intervention therapy with high spatial resolution and penetration depth, which can modulate neuronal excitability to treat psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. This study aims to use ultrasound to noninvasively modulate the brain 5-HT levels of mice to promote recovery from GA and improve cognition in mice. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) of mice during GA was stimulated by the 1.1 MHz ultrasound with a negative pressure of 356 kPa, and the liquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was used to measure the DRN 5-HT concentrations. The mice's recovery time from GA was assessed, and the cognition was evaluated through spontaneous alternation Y-maze and novel object recognition (NOR) tests. After ultrasound stimulation, the mice's DRN 5-HT levels were significantly increased (control: 554.0 ± 103.2 ng/g, anesthesia + US: 664.2 ± 84.1 ng/g, *p = 0.0389); the GA recovery time (return of the righting reflex (RORR) emergence latency time) of mice was significantly reduced (anesthesia: 331.6 ± 70 s, anesthesia + US: 223.2 ± 67.7 s, *p = 0.0215); the spontaneous rotation behavior score of mice was significantly increased (anesthesia: 59.46 ± 5.26 %, anesthesia + US: 68.55 ± 5.24 %; *p = 0.0126); the recognition index was significantly increased (anesthesia: 55.02 ± 6.23 %, anesthesia + US: 78.52 ± 12.21 %; ***p = 0.0009). This study indicates that ultrasound stimulation of DRN increases serotonin levels, accelerates recovery from anesthesia, and improves cognition, which could be an important strategy for treating delayed arousal, postoperative delirium, or even lasting cognitive dysfunction after GA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaru He
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Electronic Manufacturing Technology and Equipment, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yiyue Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Electronic Manufacturing Technology and Equipment, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Canwen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Electronic Manufacturing Technology and Equipment, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Junwei Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Electronic Manufacturing Technology and Equipment, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Electronic Manufacturing Technology and Equipment, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Maodan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Electronic Manufacturing Technology and Equipment, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhongwen Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Electronic Manufacturing Technology and Equipment, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Lvming Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Electronic Manufacturing Technology and Equipment, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xuanrong Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Electronic Manufacturing Technology and Equipment, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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Badawe HM, El Hassan RH, Khraiche ML. Modeling ultrasound modulation of neural function in a single cell. Heliyon 2023; 9:e22522. [PMID: 38046165 PMCID: PMC10686887 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Low intensity ultrasound stimulation has been shown to non-invasively modulate neural function in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) with high precision. Ultrasound sonication is capable of either excitation or inhibition, depending on the ultrasound parameters used. On the other hand, the mode of interaction of ultrasonic waves with the neural tissue for effective neuromodulation remains ambiguous. New method Here within we propose a numerical model that incorporates the mechanical effects of ultrasound stimulation on the Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) neuron by incorporating the relation between increased external pressure and the membrane induced tension, with a stress on the flexoelectric effect on the neural membrane. The external pressure causes an increase in the total tension of the membrane thus affecting the probability of the ion channels being open after the conformational changes that those channels undergo. Results The interplay between varying the acoustic intensities and frequencies depicts different action potential suppression rates, whereby a combination of low intensity and low frequency ultrasound sonication proved to be the most effective in modulating neural function.Comparison with Existing Methods: Our method solely depends on the HH model of a single neuron and the linear flexoelectric effect of the dielectric neural membrane, when under an ultrasound-induced mechanical strain, while varying the ion-channels conductances based on different sonication frequencies and intensities. We study the effect of ultrasound parameters on the firing rate, latency, and action potential amplitude of a HH neuron for a better understanding of the neuromodulation modality of ultrasound stimulation (in the continuous and pulsed modes). Conclusions This simulation work confirms the published experimental data that low intensity and low frequency ultrasound sonication has a higher success rate of modulating neural firing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heba M. Badawe
- Neural Engineering and Nanobiosensors Group, Biomedical Engineering Program, Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Rima H. El Hassan
- Neural Engineering and Nanobiosensors Group, Biomedical Engineering Program, Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Massoud L. Khraiche
- Neural Engineering and Nanobiosensors Group, Biomedical Engineering Program, Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
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AIUM Official Statement for the Statement on Biological Effects of Therapeutic Ultrasound. JOURNAL OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE 2023; 42:E68-E73. [PMID: 37584480 DOI: 10.1002/jum.16315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
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Schafer SF, Croke H, Kriete A, Ayaz H, Lewin PA, von Reyn CR, Schafer ME. A Miniature Ultrasound Source for Neural Modulation. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2023; 70:1544-1553. [PMID: 37812556 PMCID: PMC10751802 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2023.3322963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
This work describes a unique ultrasound (US) exposure system designed to create very localized ( [Formula: see text]) sound fields at operating frequencies that are currently being used for preclinical US neuromodulation. This system can expose small clusters of neuronal tissue, such as cell cultures or intact brain structures in target animal models, opening up opportunities to examine possible mechanisms of action. We modified a dental descaler and drove it at a resonance frequency of 96 kHz, well above its nominal operating point of 28 kHz. A ceramic microtip from an ultrasonic wire bonder was attached to the end of the applicator, creating a 100- [Formula: see text] point source. The device was calibrated with a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane hydrophone, in a novel, air-backed, configuration. The experimental results were confirmed by simulation using a monopole model. The results show a consistent decaying sound field from the tip, well-suited to neural stimulation. The system was tested on an existing neurological model, Drosophila melanogaster, which has not previously been used for US neuromodulation experiments. The results show brain-directed US stimulation induces or suppresses motor actions, demonstrated through synchronized tracking of fly limb movements. These results provide the basis for ongoing and future studies of US interaction with neuronal tissue, both at the level of single neurons and intact organisms.
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Bian N, Long A, Yuan Y. Desynchronization of neuronal firing in multiparameter ultrasound stimulation. Biomed Phys Eng Express 2023; 9:065023. [PMID: 37820600 DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/ad023f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation, a novel neuromodulation technique, that possesses the advantages of non-invasiveness, high penetration depth, and high spatial resolution, has achieved positive neuromodulation effects in animal studies. But the regulatory mechanism remains controversial. The intramembrane cavitation effect is considered one of the mechanisms for ultrasound neuromodulation. In this study, the modified equations of ultrasonic cavitation bubble dynamics were coupled with the dual-coupled neuron Hindmarsh-Rose model, small-world neural network model, and the Jansen-Rit neural mass model, which simulate simple coupled neurons, complex neuronal networks, and discharge signals in epileptic disorders respectively. The results demonstrated that ultrasound stimulation has an appreciable modulatory effect on neuronal firing desynchronization in Hindmarsh-Rose model and small-world neural network model. The desynchronization effect is related to the stimulation frequency and intensity. Furthermore, ultrasound stimulation has an inhibitory effect on epileptic seizures, and the effect is enhanced by increasing ultrasound frequency from 0.1-1.0 MHz. This is the first combination of ultrasonic intramembrane cavitation effect theory with neurons and neural network firing desynchronization, which can provide guidance of parametric and theories support for the studies of neurological diseases such as epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Bian
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China
| | - Ai Long
- Xiangtan Big Data and Industrial Innovation Development Center, Xiangtan 411104, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Yuan
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China
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Lee K, Lee JM, Phan TT, Lee CJ, Park JM, Park J. Ultrasonocoverslip: In-vitro platform for high-throughput assay of cell type-specific neuromodulation with ultra-low-intensity ultrasound stimulation. Brain Stimul 2023; 16:1533-1548. [PMID: 37909109 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain stimulation with ultra-low-intensity ultrasound has rarely been investigated due to the lack of a reliable device to measure small neuronal signal changes made by the ultra-low intensity range. We propose Ultrasonocoverslip, an ultrasound-transducer-integrated-glass-coverslip that determines the minimum intensity for brain cell activation. Brain cells can be cultured directly on Ultrasonocoverslip to simultaneously deliver uniform ultrasonic pressure to hundreds of cells with real-time monitoring of cellular responses using fluorescence microscopy and single-cell electrophysiology. The sensitivity for detecting small responses to ultra-low-intensity ultrasound can be improved by averaging simultaneously obtained responses. Acoustic absorbers can be placed under Ultrasonocoverslip, and stimuli distortions are substantially reduced to precisely deliver user-intended acoustic stimulations. With the proposed device, we discover the lowest acoustic threshold to induce reliable neuronal excitation releasing glutamate. Furthermore, mechanistic studies on the device show that the ultra-low-intensity ultrasound stimulation induces cell type-specific neuromodulation by activating astrocyte-mediated neuronal excitation without direct neuronal involvement. The performance of ultra-low-intensity stimulation is validated by in vivo experiments demonstrating improved safety and specificity in motor modulation of tail movement compared to that with supra-watt-intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keunhyung Lee
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Moo Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Tien Thuy Phan
- IBS School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - C Justin Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo Min Park
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; IBS School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jinhyoung Park
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
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Choi MH, Li N, Popelka G, Butts Pauly K. Development and validation of a computational method to predict unintended auditory brainstem response during transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation in mice. Brain Stimul 2023; 16:1362-1370. [PMID: 37690602 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is a promising noninvasive neuromodulation modality. The inadvertent and unpredictable activation of the auditory system in response to TUS obfuscates the interpretation of non-auditory neuromodulatory responses. OBJECTIVE The objective was to develop and validate a computational metric to quantify the susceptibility to unintended auditory brainstem response (ABR) in mice premised on time frequency analyses of TUS signals and auditory sensitivity. METHODS Ultrasound pulses with varying amplitudes, pulse repetition frequencies (PRFs), envelope smoothing profiles, and sinusoidal modulation frequencies were selected. Each pulse's time-varying frequency spectrum was differentiated across time, weighted by the mouse hearing sensitivity, then summed across frequencies. The resulting time-varying function, computationally predicting the ABR, was validated against experimental ABR in mice during TUS with the corresponding pulse. RESULTS There was a significant correlation between experimental ABRs and the computational predictions for 19 TUS signals (R2 = 0.97). CONCLUSIONS To reduce ABR in mice during in vivo TUS studies, 1) reduce the amplitude of a rectangular continuous wave envelope, 2) increase the rise/fall times of a smoothed continuous wave envelope, and/or 3) change the PRF and/or duty cycle of a rectangular or sinusoidal pulsed wave to reduce the gap between pulses and increase the rise/fall time of the overall envelope. This metric can aid researchers performing in vivo mouse studies in selecting TUS signal parameters that minimize unintended ABR. The methods for developing this metric can be adapted to other animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Hyun Choi
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Ningrui Li
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Gerald Popelka
- Department of Otolaryngology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA; Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Kim Butts Pauly
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA; Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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Liu M, Yuan Y, Wang X, Wang T, Bian N, Zhao L, Cui G, Liu W, Ma Z, Yang X, Liang S, Liu Z. Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation modulates neural activities in mice under propofol anaesthesia. BMC Neurosci 2023; 24:48. [PMID: 37648991 PMCID: PMC10466774 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-023-00817-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have reported that transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation can significantly decrease the time to emergence from intraperitoneal ketamine-xylazine anaesthesia in rats. However, how transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation modulates neural activity in anaesthetized rats is unclear. METHODS In this study, to answer this question, we used low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) to stimulate the brain tissue of propofol-anaesthetized mice, recorded local field potentials (LFPs) in the mouse motor cortex and electromyography (EMG) signals from the mouse neck, and analysed the emergence and recovery time, mean absolute power, relative power and entropy of local field potentials. RESULTS We found that the time to emergence from anaesthesia in the TUS group (20.3 ± 1.7 min) was significantly less than that in the Sham group (32 ± 2.6 min). We also found that compared with the Sham group, 20 min after low-intensity TUS during recovery from anaesthesia, (1) the absolute power of local field potentials in mice was significantly reduced in the [1-4 Hz] and [13-30 Hz] frequency bands and significantly increased in the [55-100 Hz], [100-140 Hz] and [140-200 Hz] frequency bands; (2) the relative power of local field potentials in mice was enhanced at [30-45 Hz], [100-140 Hz] and [140-200 Hz] frequency bands; (3) the entropy of local field potentials ([1-200 Hz]) was increased. CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that low-intensity TUS can effectively modulate neural activities in both awake and anaesthetized mice and has a positive effect on recovery from propofol anaesthesia in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiqi Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, 066000, China
| | - Yi Yuan
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, 066004, China
| | - Xingran Wang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, 066004, China
| | - Teng Wang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, 066004, China
| | - Nannan Bian
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, 066004, China
| | - Li Zhao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, 066000, China
| | - Guangying Cui
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, 066000, China
| | - Wenchao Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, 066000, China
| | - Zhongfeng Ma
- Department of General Surgery, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, 066000, China
| | - Xiaochun Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, 066000, China
| | - Shujuan Liang
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, 066000, China
| | - Zhuo Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, 066000, China.
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Fan B, Goodman W, Cho RY, Sheth SA, Bouchard RR, Aazhang B. Computational modeling and minimization of unintended neuronal excitation in a LIFU stimulation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13403. [PMID: 37591991 PMCID: PMC10435497 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40522-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuromodulation effect of low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) is highly target-specific. Unintended off-target neuronal excitation can be elicited when the beam focusing accuracy and resolution are limited, whereas the resulted side effect has not been evaluated quantitatively. There is also a lack of methods addressing the minimization of such side effects. Therefore, this work introduces a computational model of unintended neuronal excitation during LIFU neuromodulation, which evaluates the off-target activation area (OTAA) by integrating an ultrasound field model with the neuronal spiking model. In addition, a phased array beam focusing scheme called constrained optimal resolution beamforming (CORB) is proposed to minimize the off-target neuronal excitation area while ensuring effective stimulation in the target brain region. A lower bound of the OTAA is analytically approximated in a simplified homogeneous medium, which could guide the selection of transducer parameters such as aperture size and operating frequency. Simulations in a human head model using three transducer setups show that CORB markedly reduces the OTAA compared with two benchmark beam focusing methods. The high neuromodulation resolution demonstrates the capability of LIFU to effectively limit the side effects during neuromodulation, allowing future clinical applications such as treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boqiang Fan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
| | - Wayne Goodman
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Raymond Y Cho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sameer A Sheth
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Richard R Bouchard
- Department of Imaging Physics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Behnaam Aazhang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
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Kubanek J, Wilson M, Rabbitt RD, Armstrong CJ, Farley AJ, Ullah HMA, Shcheglovitov A. Stem cell-derived brain organoids for controlled studies of transcranial neuromodulation. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18482. [PMID: 37576248 PMCID: PMC10412769 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcranial neuromodulation methods have the potential to diagnose and treat brain disorders at their neural source in a personalized manner. However, it has been difficult to investigate the direct effects of transcranial neuromodulation on neurons in human brain tissue. Here, we show that human brain organoids provide a detailed and artifact-free window into neuromodulation-evoked electrophysiological effects. We derived human cortical organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells and implanted 32-channel electrode arrays. Each organoid was positioned in the center of the human skull and subjected to low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound. We found that ultrasonic stimuli modulated network activity in the gamma and delta ranges of the frequency spectrum. The effects on the neural networks were a function of the ultrasound stimulation frequency. High gamma activity remained elevated for at least 20 minutes following stimulation offset. This approach is expected to provide controlled studies of the effects of ultrasound and other transcranial neuromodulation modalities on human brain tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Kubanek
- University of Utah, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 36 South Wasatch Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States of America
| | - Matthew Wilson
- University of Utah, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 36 South Wasatch Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States of America
| | - Richard D. Rabbitt
- University of Utah, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 36 South Wasatch Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States of America
| | - Celeste J. Armstrong
- University of Utah, Department of Neurobiology, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States of America
| | - Alexander J. Farley
- University of Utah, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 36 South Wasatch Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States of America
| | - H. M. Arif Ullah
- University of Utah, Department of Neurobiology, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States of America
| | - Alex Shcheglovitov
- University of Utah, Department of Neurobiology, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States of America
- University of Utah, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 36 South Wasatch Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States of America
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Seo J, Shin H, Cho S, Lee S, Ryu W, Han SC, Kim DH, Kang GH. A phased array ultrasound system with a robotic arm for neuromodulation. Med Eng Phys 2023; 118:104023. [PMID: 37536829 DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2023.104023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ultrasonic neuromodulation (UNMOD) provides a non-invasive brain stimulation. However, the high-resolution region-specificity of UNMOD with a single element transducer combined with a mechanical positioning system could have limits due to the intrinsic positioning error from mechanical systems. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS A phased array system could lead to highly selective neuromodulation with electronic control. METHODS A specialized phased-array system with a robotic arm is implemented for a rhesus monkey model. Various primary motor cortex areas related to tail, hand, and mouth were stimulated with a 200 μm step size. The ultrasonic parameters were ISPTA of 840 mW/cm2, pulse repetition frequency of 100 Hz, and a 5% duty factor at 600 kHz. The induced movement were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS Separate digits, mouth, and tongue motions were successfully induced by electronically controlling the focus. The identical body part movement could be induced when the focus was moved back to the identical primary motor cortex with electronic control. Accordingly, the reproducibility of UNMOD could be partially validated with rhesus monkey model. CONCLUSION A phased-array system appears to have a potential for the non-invasive and region-selective neuromodulation method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jongbum Seo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Gangwon-do, Korea.
| | - Hyunsoo Shin
- School of Electrical Engineering, Hanyang University (ERICA Campus), Ansan Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Sungtaek Cho
- School of Electrical Engineering, Hanyang University (ERICA Campus), Ansan Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Sungon Lee
- School of Electrical Engineering, Hanyang University (ERICA Campus), Ansan Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Wooseok Ryu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Su-Cheol Han
- Jeonbuk Department of Inhalation Research, KIT, KRICT, Korea
| | - Da Hee Kim
- Jeonbuk Department of Inhalation Research, KIT, KRICT, Korea
| | - Goo Hwa Kang
- Jeonbuk Department of Inhalation Research, KIT, KRICT, Korea
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McCune EP, Lee SA, Konofagou EE. Interdependence of Tissue Temperature, Cavitation, and Displacement Imaging During Focused Ultrasound Nerve Sonication. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2023; 70:600-612. [PMID: 37256815 PMCID: PMC10332467 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2023.3280455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Focused ultrasound (FUS) peripheral neuromodulation has been linked to nerve displacement caused by the acoustic radiation force; however, the roles of cavitation and temperature accumulation on nerve modulation are less clear, as are the relationships between these three mechanisms of action. Temperature directly changes tissue stiffness and viscosity. Viscoelastic properties have been shown to affect cavitation thresholds in both theoretical and ex vivo models, but the direct effect of temperature on cavitation has not been investigated in vivo. Here, cavitation and tissue displacement were simultaneously mapped in response to baseline tissue temperatures of either 30 °C or 38 °C during sciatic nerve sonication in mice. In each mouse, the sciatic nerve was repeatedly sonicated at 1.1-MHz, 4-MPa peak-negative pressure, 5-ms pulse duration, and either 15- or 30-Hz pulse repetition frequency (PRF) for 10 s at each tissue temperature. Cavitation increased by 1.8-4.5 dB at a tissue temperature of 38 °C compared to 30 °C, as measured both by passive cavitation images and cavitation doses. Tissue displacement also increased by 1.3- [Formula: see text] at baseline temperatures of 38 °C compared to 30 °C. Histological findings indicated small increases in red blood cell extravasation in the 38 °C baseline temperature condition compared to 30 °C at both PRFs. A strong positive correlation was found between the inertial cavitation dose and displacement imaging noise, indicating the potential ability of displacement imaging to simultaneously detect inertial cavitation in vivo. Overall, tissue temperature was found to modulate both in vivo cavitation and tissue displacement, and thus, both tissue temperature and cavitation can be monitored during FUS to ensure both safety and efficiency.
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Ferreira Felloni Borges Y, Cheyuo C, Lozano AM, Fasano A. Essential Tremor - Deep Brain Stimulation vs. Focused Ultrasound. Expert Rev Neurother 2023; 23:603-619. [PMID: 37288812 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2023.2221789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Essential Tremor (ET) is one of the most common tremor syndromes typically presented as action tremor, affecting mainly the upper limbs. In at least 30-50% of patients, tremor interferes with quality of life, does not respond to first-line therapies and/or intolerable adverse effects may occur. Therefore, surgery may be considered. AREAS COVERED In this review, the authors discuss and compare unilateral ventral intermedius nucleus deep brain stimulation (VIM DBS) and bilateral DBS with Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy, which comprises focused acoustic energy generating ablation under real-time MRI guidance. Discussion includes their impact on tremor reduction and their potential complications. Finally, the authors provide their expert opinion. EXPERT OPINION DBS is adjustable, potentially reversible and allows bilateral treatments; however, it is invasive requires hardware implantation, and has higher surgical risks. Instead, MRgFUS is less invasive, less expensive, and requires no hardware maintenance. Beyond these technical differences, the decision should also involve the patient, family, and caregivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Ferreira Felloni Borges
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease, Division of Neurology, Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, UHN, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Cletus Cheyuo
- Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andres M Lozano
- Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alfonso Fasano
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease, Division of Neurology, Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, UHN, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Center for Advancing Neurotechnological Innovation to Application (CRANIA), Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Rehabilitation, Moriggia-Pelascini Hospital, Gravedona Ed Uniti, Como, Italy
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50
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Tsehay Y, Zeng Y, Weber-Levine C, Awosika T, Kerensky M, Hersh AM, Ou Z, Jiang K, Bhimreddy M, Bauer SJ, Theodore JN, Quiroz VM, Suk I, Alomari S, Sun J, Tong S, Thakor N, Doloff JC, Theodore N, Manbachi A. Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Neuromodulation of a Rodent's Spinal Cord Suppresses Motor Evoked Potentials. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2023; 70:1992-2001. [PMID: 37018313 PMCID: PMC10510849 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2022.3233345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Here we investigate the ability of low-intensity ultrasound (LIUS) applied to the spinal cord to modulate the transmission of motor signals. METHODS Male adult Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 10, 250-300 g, 15 weeks old) were used in this study. Anesthesia was initially induced with 2% isoflurane carried by oxygen at 4 L/min via a nose cone. Cranial, upper extremity, and lower extremity electrodes were placed. A thoracic laminectomy was performed to expose the spinal cord at the T11 and T12 vertebral levels. A LIUS transducer was coupled to the exposed spinal cord, and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were acquired each minute for either 5- or 10-minutes of sonication. Following the sonication period, the ultrasound was turned off and post-sonication MEPs were acquired for an additional 5 minutes. RESULTS Hindlimb MEP amplitude significantly decreased during sonication in both the 5- (p < 0.001) and 10-min (p = 0.004) cohorts with a corresponding gradual recovery to baseline. Forelimb MEP amplitude did not demonstrate any statistically significant changes during sonication in either the 5- (p = 0.46) or 10-min (p = 0.80) trials. CONCLUSION LIUS applied to the spinal cord suppresses MEP signals caudal to the site of sonication, with recovery of MEPs to baseline after sonication. SIGNIFICANCE LIUS can suppress motor signals in the spinal cord and may be useful in treating movement disorders driven by excessive excitation of spinal neurons.
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