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Atkinson-Clement C, Alkhawashki M, Ross J, Gatica M, Zhang C, Sallet J, Kaiser M. Dynamical and individualised approach of transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation effects in non-human primates. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11916. [PMID: 38789473 PMCID: PMC11126417 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62562-6] [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: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) allows to alter brain functioning with a high spatial resolution and to reach deep targets. However, the time-course of TUS effects remains largely unknown. We applied TUS on three brain targets for three different monkeys: the anterior medial prefrontal cortex, the supplementary motor area and the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex. For each, one resting-state fMRI was acquired between 30 and 150 min after TUS as well as one without stimulation (control). We captured seed-based brain connectivity changes dynamically and on an individual basis. We also assessed between individuals and between targets homogeneity and brain features that predicted TUS changes. We found that TUS prompts heterogenous functional connectivity alterations yet retain certain consistent changes; we identified 6 time-courses of changes including transient and long duration alterations; with a notable degree of accuracy we found that brain alterations could partially be predicted. Altogether, our results highlight that TUS induces heterogeneous functional connectivity alterations. On a more technical point, we also emphasize the need to consider brain changes over-time rather than just observed during a snapshot; to consider inter-individual variability since changes could be highly different from one individual to another.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - James Ross
- Precision Imaging, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Marilyn Gatica
- Precision Imaging, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Chencheng Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai, China
| | - Jerome Sallet
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Université Lyon 1, Bron, France
| | - Marcus Kaiser
- Precision Imaging, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Rui Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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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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Zhong C, Guo N, Hu C, Ni R, Zhang X, Meng Z, Liu T, Ding S, Ding W, Zhao Y, Cao L, Zheng Y. Efficacy of Wearable low-intensity pulsed Ultrasound treatment in the Movement disorder in Parkinson's disease (the SWUMP trial): protocol for a single-site, double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Trials 2024; 25:275. [PMID: 38650028 PMCID: PMC11036625 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-024-08092-y] [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: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative illness marked by the loss of dopaminergic neurons, causing motor symptoms. Oral levodopa replacement therapy remains the gold standard in the treatment of PD. It is, nevertheless, a symptomatic treatment. There is currently no effective treatment for PD. Therefore, new therapies for PD are highly desirable. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been shown to improve behavioral functions in PD animal models. It is a new type of neuromodulation approach that combines noninvasiveness with high spatial precision. The purpose of this study is to establish a new clinical protocol for LIPUS in the treatment of movement disorders in patients with PD. METHODS This protocol is a single-site, prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT). Forty-eight participants with clinically confirmed PD will be randomly allocated to one of two groups: LIPUS group or sham group. All of the participants continue to use pharmacological therapy as a fundamental treatment. The primary outcome is the difference between groups from baseline to 4 months in the change in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor score (part III). The secondary outcomes include the rating scales such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and other three rating scales, and medical examinations including high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The primary safety outcome will be assessed at 4 months, and adverse events will be recorded. DISCUSSION This study represents the clinical investigation into the efficacy of therapeutic LIPUS in the treatment of PD for the first time. If LIPUS is determined to be effective, it could offer a practical and innovative means of expanding the accessibility of ultrasound therapy by using a wearable LIPUS device within a home setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100052093. Registered on 17 October 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanyu Zhong
- Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Guo
- Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People's Republic of China
| | - Canfang Hu
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People's Republic of China
- Department of Neurology Medical, Jinshan Branch of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 201599, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruilong Ni
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaojie Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheying Meng
- Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People's Republic of China
| | - Taotao Liu
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People's Republic of China
| | - Siqi Ding
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People's Republic of China
| | - Wanhai Ding
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuwu Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People's Republic of China.
| | - Li Cao
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yuanyi Zheng
- Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People's Republic of China.
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Wang T, Wang M, Wang J, Li Z, Yuan Y. Modulatory effects of low-intensity retinal ultrasound stimulation on rapid and non-rapid eye movement sleep. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae143. [PMID: 38602742 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae143] [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: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Prior investigations have established that the manipulation of neural activity has the potential to influence both rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement sleep. Low-intensity retinal ultrasound stimulation has shown effectiveness in the modulation of neural activity. Nevertheless, the specific effects of retinal ultrasound stimulation on rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement sleep, as well as its potential to enhance overall sleep quality, remain to be elucidated. Here, we found that: In healthy mice, retinal ultrasound stimulation: (i) reduced total sleep time and non-rapid eye movement sleep ratio; (ii) changed relative power and sample entropy of the delta (0.5-4 Hz) in non-rapid eye movement sleep; and (iii) enhanced relative power of the theta (4-8 Hz) and reduced theta-gamma coupling strength in rapid eye movement sleep. In Alzheimer's disease mice with sleep disturbances, retinal ultrasound stimulation: (i) reduced the total sleep time; (ii) altered the relative power of the gamma band during rapid eye movement sleep; and (iii) enhanced the coupling strength of delta-gamma in non-rapid eye movement sleep and weakened the coupling strength of theta-fast gamma. The results indicate that retinal ultrasound stimulation can modulate rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement-related neural activity; however, it is not beneficial to the sleep quality of healthy and Alzheimer's disease mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng Wang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Mengran Wang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Jiawei Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
| | - Zhen Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Yi Yuan
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
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Sherman J, Bortz E, Antonio ES, Tseng HA, Raiff L, Han X. Ultrasound pulse repetition frequency preferentially activates different neuron populations independent of cell type. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.25.586645. [PMID: 38585918 PMCID: PMC10996595 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.25.586645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Transcranial ultrasound activates mechanosensitive cellular signaling and modulates neural dynamics. Given that intrinsic neuronal activity is limited to a couple hundred hertz and often exhibits frequency preference, we examined whether pulsing ultrasound at physiologic pulse repetition frequencies (PRFs) could selectively influence neuronal activity in the mammalian brain. We performed calcium imaging of individual motor cortex neurons, while delivering 0.35 MHz ultrasound at PRFs of 10, 40, and 140 Hz in awake mice. We found that most neurons were preferentially activated by only one of the three PRFs, highlighting unique cellular effects of physiologic PRFs. Further, ultrasound evoked responses were similar between excitatory neurons and parvalbumin positive interneurons regardless of PRFs, indicating that individual cell sensitivity dominates ultrasound-evoked effects, consistent with the heterogeneous mechanosensitive channel expression we found across single neurons in mice and humans. These results highlight the feasibility of tuning ultrasound neuromodulation effects through varying PRFs.
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Stoddart PR, Begeng JM, Tong W, Ibbotson MR, Kameneva T. Nanoparticle-based optical interfaces for retinal neuromodulation: a review. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1360870. [PMID: 38572073 PMCID: PMC10987880 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1360870] [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: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Degeneration of photoreceptors in the retina is a leading cause of blindness, but commonly leaves the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and/or bipolar cells extant. Consequently, these cells are an attractive target for the invasive electrical implants colloquially known as "bionic eyes." However, after more than two decades of concerted effort, interfaces based on conventional electrical stimulation approaches have delivered limited efficacy, primarily due to the current spread in retinal tissue, which precludes high-acuity vision. The ideal prosthetic solution would be less invasive, provide single-cell resolution and an ability to differentiate between different cell types. Nanoparticle-mediated approaches can address some of these requirements, with particular attention being directed at light-sensitive nanoparticles that can be accessed via the intrinsic optics of the eye. Here we survey the available known nanoparticle-based optical transduction mechanisms that can be exploited for neuromodulation. We review the rapid progress in the field, together with outstanding challenges that must be addressed to translate these techniques to clinical practice. In particular, successful translation will likely require efficient delivery of nanoparticles to stable and precisely defined locations in the retinal tissues. Therefore, we also emphasize the current literature relating to the pharmacokinetics of nanoparticles in the eye. While considerable challenges remain to be overcome, progress to date shows great potential for nanoparticle-based interfaces to revolutionize the field of visual prostheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul R. Stoddart
- School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - James M. Begeng
- School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Information Technology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Wei Tong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Information Technology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Physics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael R. Ibbotson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Information Technology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Tatiana Kameneva
- School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
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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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Zhang L, Du W, Kim JH, Yu CC, Dagdeviren C. An Emerging Era: Conformable Ultrasound Electronics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2307664. [PMID: 37792426 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307664] [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] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Conformable electronics are regarded as the next generation of personal healthcare monitoring and remote diagnosis devices. In recent years, piezoelectric-based conformable ultrasound electronics (cUSE) have been intensively studied due to their unique capabilities, including nonradiative monitoring, soft tissue imaging, deep signal decoding, wireless power transfer, portability, and compatibility. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of cUSE for use in biomedical and healthcare monitoring systems and a summary of their recent advancements. Following an introduction to the fundamentals of piezoelectrics and ultrasound transducers, the critical parameters for transducer design are discussed. Next, five types of cUSE with their advantages and limitations are highlighted, and the fabrication of cUSE using advanced technologies is discussed. In addition, the working function, acoustic performance, and accomplishments in various applications are thoroughly summarized. It is noted that application considerations must be given to the tradeoffs between material selection, manufacturing processes, acoustic performance, mechanical integrity, and the entire integrated system. Finally, current challenges and directions for the development of cUSE are highlighted, and research flow is provided as the roadmap for future research. In conclusion, these advances in the fields of piezoelectric materials, ultrasound transducers, and conformable electronics spark an emerging era of biomedicine and personal healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhang
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Wenya Du
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Jin-Hoon Kim
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Chia-Chen Yu
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Canan Dagdeviren
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
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Riis T, Feldman D, Losser A, Mickey B, Kubanek J. Device for Multifocal Delivery of Ultrasound Into Deep Brain Regions in Humans. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2024; 71:660-668. [PMID: 37695955 PMCID: PMC10803076 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2023.3313987] [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] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Low-intensity focused ultrasound provides the means to noninvasively stimulate or release drugs in specified deep brain targets. However, successful clinical translations require hardware that maximizes acoustic transmission through the skull, enables flexible electronic steering, and provides accurate and reproducible targeting while minimizing the use of MRI. We have developed a device that addresses these practical requirements. The device delivers ultrasound through the temporal and parietal skull windows, which minimize the attenuation and distortions of the ultrasound by the skull. The device consists of 252 independently controlled elements, which provides the ability to modulate multiple deep brain targets at a high spatiotemporal resolution, without the need to move the device or the subject. And finally, the device uses a mechanical registration method that enables accurate deep brain targeting both inside and outside of the MRI. Using this method, a single MRI scan is necessary for accurate targeting; repeated subsequent treatments can be performed reproducibly in an MRI-free manner. We validated these functions by transiently modulating specific deep brain regions in two patients with treatment-resistant depression.
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10
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Jiao H, Mao Q, Razzaq N, Ankri R, Cui J. Ultrasound technology assisted colloidal nanocrystal synthesis and biomedical applications. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2024; 103:106798. [PMID: 38330546 PMCID: PMC10865478 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2024.106798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Non-invasive and high spatiotemporal resolution mythologies for the diagnosis and treatment of disease in clinical medicine promote the development of modern medicine. Ultrasound (US) technology provides a non-invasive, real-time, and cost-effective clinical imaging modality, which plays a significant role in chemical synthesis and clinical translation, especially in in vivo imaging and cancer therapy. On the one hand, the US treatment is usually accompanied by cavitation, leading to high temperature and pressure, so-called "hot spot", playing a significant role in sonochemical-based colloidal synthesis. Compared with the classical nucleation synthetic method, the sonochemical synthesis strategy presents high efficiency for the fabrication of colloidal nanocrystals due to its fast nucleation and growth procedure. On the other hand, the US is attractive for in vivo and medical treatment, with applications increasing with the development of novel contrast agents, such as the micro and nano bubbles, which are widely used in neuromodulation, with which the US can breach the blood-brain barrier temporarily and safely, opening a new door to neuromodulation and therapy. In terms of cancer treatment, sonodynamic therapy and US-assisted synergetic therapy show great effects against cancer and sonodynamic immunotherapy present unparalleled potentiality compared with other synergetic therapies. Further development of ultrasound technology can revolutionize both chemical synthesis and clinical translation by improving efficiency, precision, and accessibility while reducing environmental impact and enhancing patient care. In this paper, we review the US-assisted sonochemical synthesis and biological applications, to promote the next generation US technology-assisted applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haorong Jiao
- The Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Industrial Park, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qiulian Mao
- The Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Industrial Park, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Noman Razzaq
- The Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Industrial Park, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Rinat Ankri
- The Biomolecular and Nanophotonics Lab, Ariel University, 407000, P.O.B. 3, Ariel, Israel.
| | - Jiabin Cui
- The Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Industrial Park, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China.
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Eleni Karakatsani M, Estrada H, Chen Z, Shoham S, Deán-Ben XL, Razansky D. Shedding light on ultrasound in action: Optical and optoacoustic monitoring of ultrasound brain interventions. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 205:115177. [PMID: 38184194 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.115177] [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: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Monitoring brain responses to ultrasonic interventions is becoming an important pillar of a growing number of applications employing acoustic waves to actuate and cure the brain. Optical interrogation of living tissues provides a unique means for retrieving functional and molecular information related to brain activity and disease-specific biomarkers. The hybrid optoacoustic imaging methods have further enabled deep-tissue imaging with optical contrast at high spatial and temporal resolution. The marriage between light and sound thus brings together the highly complementary advantages of both modalities toward high precision interrogation, stimulation, and therapy of the brain with strong impact in the fields of ultrasound neuromodulation, gene and drug delivery, or noninvasive treatments of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we elaborate on current advances in optical and optoacoustic monitoring of ultrasound interventions. We describe the main principles and mechanisms underlying each method before diving into the corresponding biomedical applications. We identify areas of improvement as well as promising approaches with clinical translation potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Eleni Karakatsani
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Héctor Estrada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zhenyue Chen
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shy Shoham
- Department of Ophthalmology and Tech4Health and Neuroscience Institutes, NYU Langone Health, NY, USA
| | - Xosé Luís Deán-Ben
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Daniel Razansky
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
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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 2024:00006396-990000000-00514. [PMID: 38314779 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [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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Su Z, Liu M, Yuan Y, Jiao H. Transcranial ultrasound stimulation selectively affects cortical neurovascular coupling across neuronal types and LFP frequency bands. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad465. [PMID: 38044470 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad465] [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: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have affirmed that transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) can influence cortical neurovascular coupling across low-frequency (0-2 Hz)/high-frequency (160-200 Hz) neural oscillations and hemodynamics. Nevertheless, the selectivity of this coupling triggered by transcranial ultrasound stimulation for spike activity (> 300 Hz) and additional frequency bands (4-150 Hz) remains elusive. We applied transcranial ultrasound stimulation to mice visual cortex while simultaneously recording total hemoglobin concentration, spike activity, and local field potentials. Our findings include (1) a significant increase in coupling strength between spike firing rates of putative inhibitory neurons/putative excitatory neurons and total hemoglobin concentration post-transcranial ultrasound stimulation; (2) an ~ 2.1-fold higher Pearson correlation coefficient between putative inhibitory neurons and total hemoglobin concentration compared with putative excitatory neurons and total hemoglobin concentration (*P < 0.05); (3) a notably greater cross-correlation between putative inhibitory neurons and total hemoglobin concentration than that between putative excitatory neurons and total hemoglobin concentration (*P < 0.05); (4) an enhancement of Pearson correlation coefficient between the relative power of γ frequency band (30-80 Hz), hγ frequency band (80-150 Hz) and total hemoglobin concentration following transcranial ultrasound stimulation (*P < 0.05); and (5) strongest cross-correlation observed at negative delay for θ frequency band, and positive delay for α, β, γ, hγ frequency bands. Collectively, these results demonstrate that cortical neurovascular coupling evoked by transcranial ultrasound stimulation exhibits selectivity concerning neuronal types and local field potential frequency bands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaocheng Su
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Mengyang Liu
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Yi Yuan
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Honglei Jiao
- Department of Neurology, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
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14
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Davoudi N, Estrada H, Özbek A, Shoham S, Razansky D. Model-based correction of rapid thermal confounds in fluorescence neuroimaging of targeted perturbation. NEUROPHOTONICS 2024; 11:014413. [PMID: 38371339 PMCID: PMC10871046 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.11.1.014413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Significance An array of techniques for targeted neuromodulation is emerging, with high potential in brain research and therapy. Calcium imaging or other forms of functional fluorescence imaging are central solutions for monitoring cortical neural responses to targeted neuromodulation, but often are confounded by thermal effects that are inter-mixed with neural responses. Aim Here, we develop and demonstrate a method for effectively suppressing fluorescent thermal transients from calcium responses. Approach We use high precision phased-array 3 MHz focused ultrasound delivery integrated with fiberscope-based widefield fluorescence to monitor cortex-wide calcium changes. Our approach for detecting the neural activation first takes advantage of the high inter-hemispheric correlation of resting state Ca 2 + dynamics and then removes the ultrasound-induced thermal effect by subtracting its simulated spatio-temporal signature from the processed profile. Results The focused 350 μ m -sized ultrasound stimulus triggered rapid localized activation events dominated by transient thermal responses produced by ultrasound. By employing bioheat equation to model the ultrasound heat deposition, we can recover putative neural responses to ultrasound. Conclusions The developed method for canceling transient thermal fluorescence quenching could also find applications with optical stimulation techniques to monitor thermal effects and disentangle them from neural responses. This approach may help deepen our understanding of the mechanisms and macroscopic effects of ultrasound neuromodulation, further paving the way for tailoring the stimulation regimes toward specific applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Davoudi
- University of Zurich, Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland
- ETH Zurich, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Zurich, Switzerland
- ETH AI Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hector Estrada
- University of Zurich, Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland
- ETH Zurich, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ali Özbek
- University of Zurich, Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland
- ETH Zurich, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shy Shoham
- NYU Langone Health, Neuroscience Institutes, Department of Ophthalmology and Tech4Health New York, United States
| | - Daniel Razansky
- University of Zurich, Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland
- ETH Zurich, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Zurich, Switzerland
- ETH AI Center, Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Riis TS, Feldman DA, Vonesh LC, Brown JR, Solzbacher D, Kubanek J, Mickey BJ. Durable effects of deep brain ultrasonic neuromodulation on major depression: a case report. J Med Case Rep 2023; 17:449. [PMID: 37891643 PMCID: PMC10612153 DOI: 10.1186/s13256-023-04194-4] [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: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe forms of depression have been linked to hyperactivity of the subcallosal cingulate cortex. The ability to stimulate the subcallosal cingulate cortex or associated circuits noninvasively and directly would maximize the number of patients who could receive treatment. To this end, we have developed an ultrasound-based device for effective noninvasive modulation of deep brain circuits. Here we describe an application of this tool to an individual with treatment-resistant depression. CASE PRESENTATION A 30-year-old Caucasian woman with severe treatment-resistant non-psychotic depression was recruited into a clinical study approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Utah. The patient had a history of electroconvulsive therapy with full remission but without sustained benefit. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to coregister the ultrasound device to the subject's brain anatomy and to evaluate neural responses to stimulation. Brief, 30-millisecond pulses of low-intensity ultrasound delivered into the subcallosal cingulate cortex target every 4 seconds caused a robust decrease in functional magnetic resonance imaging blood-oxygen-level-dependent activity within the target. Following repeated stimulation of three anterior cingulate targets, the patient's depressive symptoms resolved within 24 hours of the stimulation. The patient remained in remission for at least 44 days afterwards. CONCLUSIONS This case illustrates the potential for ultrasonic neuromodulation to precisely engage deep neural circuits and to trigger a durable therapeutic reset of those circuits. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05301036. Registered 29 March 2022, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05301036.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas S Riis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
| | - Daniel A Feldman
- Department of Psychiatry, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Lily C Vonesh
- Department of Psychiatry, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Jefferson R Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Daniela Solzbacher
- Department of Psychiatry, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Jan Kubanek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Brian J Mickey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
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16
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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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17
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Mishra A, Yang PF, Manuel TJ, Newton AT, Phipps MA, Luo H, Sigona MK, Reed JL, Gore JC, Grissom WA, Caskey CF, Chen LM. Disrupting nociceptive information processing flow through transcranial focused ultrasound neuromodulation of thalamic nuclei. Brain Stimul 2023; 16:1430-1444. [PMID: 37741439 PMCID: PMC10702144 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.09.013] [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: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MRI-guided transcranial focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) as a next-generation neuromodulation tool can precisely target and stimulate deep brain regions with high spatial selectivity. Combined with MR-ARFI (acoustic radiation force imaging) and using fMRI BOLD signal as functional readouts, our previous studies have shown that low-intensity FUS can excite or suppress neural activity in the somatosensory cortex. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether low-intensity FUS can suppress nociceptive heat stimulation-induced responses in thalamic nuclei during hand stimulation, and to determine how this suppression influences the information processing flow within nociception networks. FINDINGS BOLD fMRI activations evoked by 47.5 °C heat stimulation of hand were detected in 24 cortical regions, which belong to sensory, affective, and cognitive nociceptive networks. Concurrent delivery of low-intensity FUS pulses (650 kHz, 550 kPa) to the predefined heat nociceptive stimulus-responsive thalamic centromedial_parafascicular (CM_para), mediodorsal (MD), ventral_lateral (VL_ and ventral_lateral_posteroventral (VLpv) nuclei suppressed their heat responses. Off-target cortical areas exhibited reduced, enhanced, or no significant fMRI signal changes, depending on the specific areas. Differentiable thalamocortical information flow during the processing of nociceptive heat input was observed, as indicated by the time to reach 10% or 30% of the heat-evoked BOLD signal peak. Suppression of thalamic heat responses significantly altered nociceptive processing flow and direction between the thalamus and cortical areas. Modulation of contralateral versus ipsilateral areas by unilateral thalamic activity differed. Signals detected in high-order cortical areas, such as dorsal frontal (DFC) and ventrolateral prefrontal (vlPFC) cortices, exhibited faster response latencies than sensory areas. CONCLUSIONS The concurrent delivery of FUS suppressed nociceptive heat response in thalamic nuclei and disrupted the nociceptive network. This study offers new insights into the causal functional connections within the thalamocortical networks and demonstrates the modulatory effects of low-intensity FUS on nociceptive information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arabinda Mishra
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Pai-Feng Yang
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Thomas J Manuel
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Allen T Newton
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - M Anthony Phipps
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Huiwen Luo
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michelle K Sigona
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jamie L Reed
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - John C Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - William A Grissom
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Charles F Caskey
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Li Min Chen
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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18
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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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19
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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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20
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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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21
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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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22
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Karatum O, Han M, Erdogan ET, Karamursel S, Nizamoglu S. Physical mechanisms of emerging neuromodulation modalities. J Neural Eng 2023; 20:031001. [PMID: 37224804 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/acd870] [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: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
One of the ultimate goals of neurostimulation field is to design materials, devices and systems that can simultaneously achieve safe, effective and tether-free operation. For that, understanding the working mechanisms and potential applicability of neurostimulation techniques is important to develop noninvasive, enhanced, and multi-modal control of neural activity. Here, we review direct and transduction-based neurostimulation techniques by discussing their interaction mechanisms with neurons via electrical, mechanical, and thermal means. We show how each technique targets modulation of specific ion channels (e.g. voltage-gated, mechanosensitive, heat-sensitive) by exploiting fundamental wave properties (e.g. interference) or engineering nanomaterial-based systems for efficient energy transduction. Overall, our review provides a detailed mechanistic understanding of neurostimulation techniques together with their applications toin vitro, in vivo, and translational studies to guide the researchers toward developing more advanced systems in terms of noninvasiveness, spatiotemporal resolution, and clinical applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onuralp Karatum
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Mertcan Han
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Ezgi Tuna Erdogan
- Department of Physiology, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Sacit Karamursel
- Department of Physiology, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Sedat Nizamoglu
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
- Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
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23
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Webb T, Cheeniyil R, Wilson M, Kubanek J. Remote targeted electrical stimulation. J Neural Eng 2023; 20:036030. [PMID: 37236172 PMCID: PMC10251736 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/acd95c] [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: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Objective:The ability to generate electric fields in specific targets remotely would transform manipulations of processes that rest on electrical signaling.Approach:This article shows that focal electric fields are generated from distance by combining two orthogonal, remotely applied energies-magnetic and focused ultrasonic fields. The effect derives from the Lorentz force equation applied to magnetic and ultrasonic fields.Main results:We elicited this effect using standard hardware and confirmed that the generated electric fields align with the Lorentz equation. The effect significantly and safely modulated human peripheral nerves and deep brain regions of non-human primates.Significance:This approach opens a new set of applications in which electric fields are generated at high spatiotemporal resolution within intact biological tissues or materials, thus circumventing the limitations of traditional electrode-based procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Webb
- University of Utah, 36 S Wasatch Dr, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States of America
| | - Rahul Cheeniyil
- University of Utah, 36 S Wasatch Dr, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States of America
| | - Matthew Wilson
- University of Utah, 36 S Wasatch Dr, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States of America
| | - Jan Kubanek
- University of Utah, 36 S Wasatch Dr, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States of America
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Legon W, Strohman A, In A, Stebbins K, Payne B. Non-invasive neuromodulation of sub-regions of the human insula differentially affect pain processing and heart-rate variability. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.05.539593. [PMID: 37205396 PMCID: PMC10187309 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.05.539593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The insula is a portion of the cerebral cortex folded deep within the lateral sulcus covered by the overlying opercula of the inferior frontal lobe and superior portion of the temporal lobe. The insula has been parsed into sub-regions based upon cytoarchitectonics and structural and functional connectivity with multiple lines of evidence supporting specific roles for each of these sub-regions in pain processing and interoception. In the past, causal interrogation of the insula was only possible in patients with surgically implanted electrodes. Here, we leverage the high spatial resolution combined with the deep penetration depth of low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) to non-surgically modulate either the anterior insula (AI) or posterior insula (PI) in humans for effect on subjective pain ratings, electroencephalographic (EEG) contact head evoked potentials (CHEPs) and time-frequency power as well as autonomic measures including heart-rate variability (HRV) and electrodermal response (EDR). N = 23 healthy volunteers received brief noxious heat pain stimuli to the dorsum of their right hand during continuous heart-rate, EDR and EEG recording. LIFU was delivered to either the AI (anterior short gyrus), PI (posterior longus gyrus) or under an inert sham condition time-locked to the heat stimulus. Results demonstrate that single-element 500 kHz LIFU is capable of individually targeting specific gyri of the insula. LIFU to both AI and PI similarly reduced perceived pain ratings but had differential effects on EEG activity. LIFU to PI affected earlier EEG amplitudes around 300 milliseconds whereas LIFU to AI affected EEG amplitudes around 500 milliseconds. In addition, only LIFU to the AI affected HRV as indexed by an increase in standard deviation of N-N intervals (SDNN) and mean HRV low frequency power. There was no effect of LIFU to either AI or PI on EDR or blood pressure. Taken together, LIFU looks to be an effective method to individually target sub-regions 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. These data have implications for the treatment of chronic pain and several neuropsychological diseases like anxiety, depression and addiction that all demonstrate abnormal activity in the insula concomitant with dysregulated autonomic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wynn Legon
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, 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
| | - Andrew Strohman
- 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
| | - Alexander In
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA
| | - Katelyn Stebbins
- 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
- Center for Health Behaviors Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA
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Wang M, Wang T, Ji H, Yan J, Wang X, Zhang X, Li X, Yuan Y. Modulation effect of non-invasive transcranial ultrasound stimulation in an ADHD rat model. J Neural Eng 2023; 20. [PMID: 36599159 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/acb014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Objective.Previous studies have demonstrated that transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) with noninvasive high penetration and high spatial resolution has an effective neuromodulatory effect on neurological diseases. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a persistent neurodevelopmental disorder that severely affects child health. However, the neuromodulatory effects of TUS on ADHD have not been reported to date. This study aimed to investigate the neuromodulatory effects of TUS on ADHD.Approach.TUS was performed in ADHD model rats for two consecutive weeks, and the behavioral improvement of ADHD, neural activity of ADHD from neurons and neural oscillation levels, and the plasma membrane dopamine transporter and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the brains of ADHD rats were evaluated.Main results.TUS can improve cognitive behavior in ADHD rats, and TUS altered neuronal firing patterns and modulated the relative power and sample entropy of local field potentials in the ADHD rats. In addition, TUS can also enhance BDNF expression in the brain tissues.Significance. TUS has an effective neuromodulatory effect on ADHD and thus has the potential to clinically improve cognitive dysfunction in ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengran Wang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China
| | - Teng Wang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Ji
- Department of Neurology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaqing Yan
- College of Electrical and Control Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing 100041, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingran Wang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangjian Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Li
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Yuan
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China
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Chen M, Peng C, Wu H, Huang CC, Kim T, Traylor Z, Muller M, Chhatbar PY, Nam CS, Feng W, Jiang X. Numerical and experimental evaluation of low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound wave propagation using human skulls for brain neuromodulation. Med Phys 2023; 50:38-49. [PMID: 36342303 PMCID: PMC10099743 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) has gained considerable attention as a promising noninvasive neuromodulatory technique for human brains. However, the complex morphology of the skull hinders scholars from precisely predicting the acoustic energy transmitted and the region of the brain impacted during the sonication. This is due to the fact that different ultrasound frequencies and skull morphology variations greatly affect wave propagation through the skull. PURPOSE Although the acoustic properties of human skull have been studied for tFUS applications, such as tumor ablation using a multielement phased array, there is no consensus about how to choose a single-element focused ultrasound (FUS) transducer with a suitable frequency for neuromodulation. There are interests in exploring the magnitude and dimension of tFUS beam through human parietal bone for modulating specific brain lobes. Herein, we aim to investigate the wave propagation of tFUS on human skulls to understand and address the concerns above. METHODS Both experimental measurements and numerical modeling were conducted to investigate the transmission efficiency and beam pattern of tFUS on five human skulls (C3 and C4 regions) using single-element FUS transducers with six different frequencies (150-1500 kHz). The degassed skull was placed in a water tank, and a calibrated hydrophone was utilized to measure acoustic pressure past it. The cranial computed tomography scan data of each skull were obtained to derive a high-resolution acoustic model (grid point spacing: 0.25 mm) in simulations. Meanwhile, we modified the power-law exponent of acoustic attenuation coefficient to validate numerical modeling and enabled it to be served as a prediction tool, based on the experimental measurements. RESULTS The transmission efficiency and -6 dB beamwidth were evaluated and compared for various frequencies. An exponential decrease in transmission efficiency and a logarithmic decrease of -6 dB beamwidth with an increase in ultrasound frequency were observed. It is found that a >750 kHz ultrasound leads to a relatively lower tFUS transmission efficiency (<5%), whereas a <350 kHz ultrasound contributes to a relatively broader beamwidth (>5 mm). Based on these observations, we further analyzed the dependence of tFUS wave propagation on FUS transducer aperture size. CONCLUSIONS We successfully studied tFUS wave propagation through human skulls at different frequencies experimentally and numerically. The findings have important implications to predict tFUS wave propagation for ultrasound neuromodulation in clinical applications, and guide researchers to develop advanced ultrasound transducers as neural interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyue Chen
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Chang Peng
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.,School of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huaiyu Wu
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Chih-Chung Huang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Taewon Kim
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Zachary Traylor
- Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Marie Muller
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Pratik Y Chhatbar
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Chang S Nam
- Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Wuwei Feng
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xiaoning Jiang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Bao SC, Li F, Xiao Y, Niu L, Zheng H. Peripheral focused ultrasound stimulation and its applications: From therapeutics to human-computer interaction. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1115946. [PMID: 37123351 PMCID: PMC10140332 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1115946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Peripheral focused ultrasound stimulation (pFUS) has gained increasing attention in the past few decades, because it can be delivered to peripheral nerves, neural endings, or sub-organs. With different stimulation parameters, ultrasound stimulation could induce different modulation effects. Depending on the transmission medium, pFUS can be classified as body-coupled US stimulation, commonly used for therapeutics or neuromodulation, or as an air-coupled contactless US haptic system, which provides sensory inputs and allows distinct human-computer interaction paradigms. Despite growing interest in pFUS, the underlying working mechanisms remain only partially understood, and many applications are still in their infancy. This review focused on existing applications, working mechanisms, the latest progress, and future directions of pFUS. In terms of therapeutics, large-sample randomized clinical trials in humans are needed to translate these state of art techniques into treatments for specific diseases. The airborne US for human-computer interaction is still in its preliminary stage, but further efforts in task-oriented US applications might provide a promising interaction tool soon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Chun Bao
- National Innovation Center for Advanced Medical Devices, Shenzhen, China
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fei Li
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yang Xiao
- National Innovation Center for Advanced Medical Devices, Shenzhen, China
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lili Niu
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hairong Zheng
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Hairong Zheng,
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28
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Dong S, Yan J, Xie Z, Yuan Y, Ji H. Modulation effect of mouse hippocampal neural oscillations by closed-loop transcranial ultrasound stimulation. J Neural Eng 2022; 19. [PMID: 36541474 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aca799] [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: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Objective. Closed-loop transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) can be applied at a specific time according to the state of neural activity to achieve timely and precise neuromodulation and improve the modulation effect. In a previous study, we found that closed-loop TUS at the peaks and troughs of the theta rhythm in the mouse hippocampus was able to increase the absolute power and decrease the relative power of the theta rhythm of local field potentials (LFPs) independent of the peaks and troughs of the stimulus. However, it remained unclear whether the modulation effect of this closed-loop TUS-induced mouse hippocampal neural oscillation depended on the peaks and troughs of the theta rhythm.Approach. In this study, we used ultrasound with different stimulation modes and durations to stimulate the peaks (peak stimulation) and troughs (trough stimulation) of the hippocampal theta rhythm. The LFPs in the area of ultrasound stimulation were recorded and the amplitudes and power spectra of the theta rhythm before and after ultrasound stimulation were analyzed.Main results. The results showed that (a) the relative change in amplitude of theta rhythm decreases as the number of stimulation trials under peak stimulation increases; (b) the relative change in the absolute power of the theta rhythm decreases as the number of stimulation trials under peak stimulation increases; (c) the relative change in amplitude of the theta rhythm increases nonlinearly with the stimulation duration (SD) under peak stimulation, and; (d) the relative change in absolute power exhibits a nonlinear increase with SD under peak stimulation.Significance. These results suggest that the modulation effect of closed-loop TUS on theta rhythm is dependent on the stimulation mode and duration under peak stimulation. TUS has the potential to precisely modulate theta rhythm-related neural activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxun Dong
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaqing Yan
- College of Electrical and Control Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing 100041, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenyu Xie
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Yuan
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Intelligent Rehabilitation and Neuromodulation of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Ji
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, People's Republic of China
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29
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Yang PF, Phipps MA, Newton AT, Jonathan S, Manuel TJ, Gore JC, Grissom WA, Caskey CF, Chen LM. Differential dose responses of transcranial focused ultrasound at brain regions indicate causal interactions. Brain Stimul 2022; 15:1552-1564. [PMID: 36496128 PMCID: PMC9806861 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously shown that focused ultrasound (FUS) pulses in low pressure range exerted bidirectional and brain state-dependent neuromodulation in the nonhuman primate somatosensory cortices by fMRI. Here we aim to gain insights about the proposed neuron selective modulation of FUS and probe feedforward versus feedback interactions by simultaneously quantifying the stimulus (FUS pressures: 925, 425, 250 kPa) and response (% BOLD fMRI changes) function at the targeted area 3a/3b and off-target cortical areas at 7T. In resting-state, lowered intensities of FUS resulted in decreased fMRI signal changes at the target area 3a/3b and off-target area 1/2, S2, MCC, insula and auditory cortex, and no signal difference in thalamic VPL and MD nuclei. In activated states, concurrent high-intensity FUS significantly enhanced touch-evoked signals in area 1/2. Medium- and low-intensity FUS significantly suppressed touch-evoked BOLD signals in all areas except in the auditory cortex, VPL and MD thalamic nuclei. Distinct state dependent and dose-response curves led us to hypothesize that FUS's neuromodulatory effects may be mediated through preferential activation of different populations of neurons. Area 3a/3b may have distinct causal feedforward and feedback interactions with Area 1/2, S2, MCC, insula, and VPL. FUS offers a noninvasive neural stimulation tool for dissecting brain circuits and probing causal functional connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pai-Feng Yang
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - M Anthony Phipps
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Allen T Newton
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sumeeth Jonathan
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Thomas J Manuel
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - John C Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - William A Grissom
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Charles F Caskey
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Li Min Chen
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Remus: System for remote deep brain interventions. iScience 2022; 25:105251. [PMID: 36304108 PMCID: PMC9593303 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcranial-focused ultrasound brings personalized medicine to the human brain. Ultrasound can modulate neural activity or release drugs in specific neural circuits but this personalized approach requires a system that delivers ultrasound into specified targets flexibly and on command. We developed a remote ultrasound system (Remus) that programmatically targets deep brain regions with high spatiotemporal precision and in a multi-focal manner. We validated these functions by modulating two deep brain nuclei—the left and right lateral geniculate nucleus—in a task-performing nonhuman primate. This flexible system will enable researchers and clinicians to diagnose and treat specific deep brain circuits in a noninvasive yet targeted manner, thus embodying the promise of personalized treatments of brain disorders. Remus delivers ultrasound into deep brain targets of task-performing subjects Targets are specified programmatically and at high spatial and temporal precision Brief pulses delivered to deep brain regions modulate visual choice behavior The system enables reproducible daily applications and continuous safety monitoring
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Yu F, Müller WS, Ehnholm G, Okada Y, Lin JW. Effects of Osmolarity on Ultrasound-Induced Membrane Depolarization in Isolated Crayfish Motor Axon. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2022; 48:2040-2051. [PMID: 35882572 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2022.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We have previously identified a novel non-selective membrane conductance (gUS) opened by focused ultrasound (FUS) in crayfish motor axons. In the work described here, we studied gUS properties further by comparing FUS-evoked depolarization (FUSD) in control and hypotonic saline with 75% of control osmolarity. The FUS was a train of 20 FUS bursts (2.1 MHz and 50 µs per burst) delivered at 1 kHz. The amplitude, onset latency, frequency of occurrence and duration of FUSD were compared in a 15-min time window before and after switching to hypotonic saline. Significant increases were observed for amplitude (p < 0.001) and frequency of occurrence (p < 0.01) while the onset latency exhibited a significant decrease (p < 0.001). FUSD duration did not significantly differ. These results support predictions based on our hypothesis that gUS is mediated by opening of nanopores in the lipid bilayer and that stretching of axonal membrane caused by swelling at low osmolarity should increase the probability of nanopore formation under FUS. The FUSD parameters, in addition, exhibited time-dependent trends when the window of observation was expanded to 45 min in each saline. The statistical significance of amplitude and duration differed between 15- and 45-min time windows, indicating the presence of adaptive responses of axonal membrane to osmotic manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feiyuan Yu
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wolfgang S Müller
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Aalto, Finland
| | - Gösta Ehnholm
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yoshio Okada
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Aalto, Finland
| | - Jen-Wei Lin
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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Magnetic resonance imaging analysis predicts nanoparticle concentration delivered to the brain parenchyma. Commun Biol 2022; 5:964. [PMID: 36109574 PMCID: PMC9477799 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03881-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound in combination with the introduction of microbubbles into the vasculature effectively opens the blood brain barrier (BBB) to allow the passage of therapeutic agents. Increased permeability of the BBB is typically demonstrated with small-molecule agents (e.g., 1-nm gadolinium salts). Permeability to small-molecule agents, however, cannot reliably predict the transfer of remarkably larger molecules (e.g., monoclonal antibodies) required by numerous therapies. To overcome this issue, we developed a magnetic resonance imaging analysis based on the ΔR2* physical parameter that can be measured intraoperatively for efficient real-time treatment management. We demonstrate successful correlations between ΔR2* values and parenchymal concentrations of 3 differently sized (18 nm–44 nm) populations of liposomes in a rat model. Reaching an appropriate ΔR2* value during treatment can reflect the effective delivery of large therapeutic agents. This prediction power enables the achievement of desirable parenchymal drug concentrations, which is paramount to obtaining effective therapeutic outcomes. ΔR2* values from MRI analysis correlate with concentrations of liposomes in the size range of 18–44 nm in a rat model.
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Ramachandran S, Niu X, Yu K, He B. Transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation induces neuronal correlation change in the rat somatosensory cortex. J Neural Eng 2022; 19:10.1088/1741-2552/ac889f. [PMID: 35947970 PMCID: PMC9514023 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac889f] [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: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective.Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is a neuromodulation technique which has been the focus of increasing interest for noninvasive brain stimulation with high spatial specificity. Its ability to excite and inhibit neural circuits as well as to modulate perception and behavior has been demonstrated, however, we currently lack understanding of how tFUS modulates the ways neurons interact with each other. This understanding would help elucidate tFUS's mechanism of systemic neuromodulation and allow future development of therapies for treating neurological disorders.Approach.In this study, we investigate how tFUS modulates neural interaction and response to peripheral electrical limb stimulation through intracranial multi-electrode recordings in the rat somatosensory cortex. We deliver ultrasound in a pulsed pattern to induce frequency dependent plasticity in a manner similar to what is found following electrical stimulation.Main Results.We show that neural firing in response to peripheral electrical stimulation is increased after ultrasound stimulation at all frequencies, showing tFUS induced changes in excitability of individual neuronsin vivo. We demonstrate tFUS sonication repetition frequency dependent pairwise correlation changes between neurons, with both increases and decreases observed at different frequencies.Significance.These results extend previous research showing tFUS to be capable of inducing synaptic depression and demonstrate its ability to modulate network dynamics as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiaodan Niu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
| | - Kai Yu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
| | - Bin He
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
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Badadhe JD, Roh H, Lee BC, Kim JH, Im M. Ultrasound stimulation for non-invasive visual prostheses. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:971148. [PMID: 35990889 PMCID: PMC9382087 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.971148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, it is estimated there are more than 2.2 billion visually impaired people. Visual diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and optic neuritis can cause irreversible profound vision loss. Many groups have investigated different approaches such as microelectronic prostheses, optogenetics, stem cell therapy, and gene therapy to restore vision. However, these methods have some limitations such as invasive implantation surgery and unknown long-term risk of genetic manipulation. In addition to the safety of ultrasound as a medical imaging modality, ultrasound stimulation can be a viable non-invasive alternative approach for the sight restoration because of its ability to non-invasively control neuronal activities. Indeed, recent studies have demonstrated ultrasound stimulation can successfully modulate retinal/brain neuronal activities without causing any damage to the nerve cells. Superior penetration depth and high spatial resolution of focused ultrasound can open a new avenue in neuromodulation researches. This review summarizes the latest research results about neural responses to ultrasound stimulation. Also, this work provides an overview of technical viewpoints in the future design of a miniaturized ultrasound transducer for a non-invasive acoustic visual prosthesis for non-surgical and painless restoration of vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaya Dilip Badadhe
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
- Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyeonhee Roh
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
- School of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Byung Chul Lee
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
- Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, South Korea
- KHU-KIST Department of Converging Science and Technology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jae Hun Kim
- Sensor System Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
| | - Maesoon Im
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
- Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Maesoon Im, ;
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Shi L, Jiang Y, Zheng N, Cheng JX, Yang C. High-precision neural stimulation through optoacoustic emitters. NEUROPHOTONICS 2022; 9:032207. [PMID: 35355658 PMCID: PMC8941197 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.9.3.032207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Neuromodulation poses an invaluable role in deciphering neural circuits and exploring clinical treatment of neurological diseases. Optoacoustic neuromodulation is an emerging modality benefiting from the merits of ultrasound with high penetration depth as well as the merits of photons with high spatial precision. We summarize recent development in a variety of optoacoustic platforms for neural modulation, including fiber, film, and nanotransducer-based devices, highlighting the key advantages of each platform. The possible mechanisms and main barriers for optoacoustics as a viable neuromodulation tool are discussed. Future directions in fundamental and translational research are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linli Shi
- Boston University, Department of Chemistry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Ying Jiang
- Boston University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Nan Zheng
- Boston University, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Ji-Xin Cheng
- Boston University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Boston University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Address all correspondence to Chen Yang, ; Ji-Xin Cheng,
| | - Chen Yang
- Boston University, Department of Chemistry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Boston University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Address all correspondence to Chen Yang, ; Ji-Xin Cheng,
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Yaghmazadeh O, Vöröslakos M, Alon L, Carluccio G, Collins C, Sodickson DK, Buzsáki G. Neuronal activity under transcranial radio-frequency stimulation in metal-free rodent brains in-vivo. COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING 2022; 1:15. [PMID: 38125336 PMCID: PMC10732550 DOI: 10.1038/s44172-022-00014-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
As the use of Radio Frequency (RF) technologies increases, the impact of RF radiation on neurological function continues to receive attention. Whether RF radiation can modulate ongoing neuronal activity by non-thermal mechanisms has been debated for decades. However, the interactions between radiated energy and metal-based neural probes during experimentation could impact neural activity, making interpretation of the results difficult. To address this problem, we modified a miniature 1-photon Ca2+ imaging device to record interference-free neural activity and compared the results to those acquired using metal-containing silicon probes. We monitored the neuronal activity of awake rodent-brains under RF energy exposure (at 950 MHz) and in sham control paradigms. Spiking activity was reliably affected by RF energy in metal containing systems. However, we did not observe neuronal responses using metal-free optical recordings at induced local electric field strengths up to 230 V/m. Our results suggest that RF exposure higher than levels that are allowed by regulatory limits in real-life scenarios do not affect neuronal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid Yaghmazadeh
- Neuroscience Institute, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Omid Yaghmazadeh, Mihály Vöröslakos
| | - Mihály Vöröslakos
- Neuroscience Institute, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Omid Yaghmazadeh, Mihály Vöröslakos
| | - Leeor Alon
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Giuseppe Carluccio
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Christopher Collins
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Daniel K. Sodickson
- Neuroscience Institute, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - György Buzsáki
- Neuroscience Institute, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
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Ultrasound-Mediated Bioeffects in Senescent Mice and Alzheimer's Mouse Models. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12060775. [PMID: 35741660 PMCID: PMC9221310 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12060775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound is routinely used for a wide range of diagnostic imaging applications. However, given that ultrasound can operate over a wide range of parameters that can all be modulated, its applicability extends far beyond the bioimaging field. In fact, the modality has emerged as a hybrid technology that effectively assists drug delivery by transiently opening the blood–brain barrier (BBB) when combined with intravenously injected microbubbles, and facilitates neuromodulation. Studies in aged mice contributed to an insight into how low-intensity ultrasound brings about its neuromodulatory effects, including increased synaptic plasticity and improved cognitive functions, with a potential role for neurogenesis and the modulation of NMDA receptor-mediated neuronal signalling. This work is complemented by studies in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a form of pathological ageing. Here, ultrasound was mainly employed as a BBB-opening tool that clears protein aggregates via microglial activation and neuronal autophagy, thereby restoring cognition. We discuss the currently available ultrasound approaches and how studies in senescent mice are relevant for AD and can accelerate the application of low-intensity ultrasound in the clinic.
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Mechanistic insights into ultrasonic neurostimulation of disconnected neurons using single short pulses. Brain Stimul 2022; 15:769-779. [PMID: 35561960 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ultrasonic neurostimulation is a potentially potent noninvasive therapy, whose mechanism has yet to be elucidated. We designed a system capable of applying ultrasound with minimal reflections to neuronal cultures. Synaptic transmission was pharmacologically controlled, eliminating network effects, enabling examination of single-cell processes. Short single pulses of low-intensity ultrasound were applied, and time-locked responses were examined using calcium imaging. Low-pressure (0.35MPa) ultrasound directly stimulated ∼20% of pharmacologically disconnected neurons, regardless of membrane poration. Stimulation was resistant to the blockade of several purinergic receptor and mechanosensitive ion channel types. Stimulation was blocked, however, by suppression of action potentials. Surprisingly, even extremely short (4μs) pulses were effective, stimulating ∼8% of the neurons. Lower-pressure pulses (0.35MPa) were less effective than higher-pressure ones (0.65MPa). Attrition effects dominated, with no indication of compromised viability. Our results detract from theories implicating cavitation, heating, non-transient membrane pores >1.5nm, pre-synaptic release, or gradual effects. They implicate a post-synaptic mechanism upstream of the action potential, and narrow down the list of possible targets involved.
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Xie P, Hao Y, Chen X, Jin Z, Cheng S, Li X, Liu L, Yuan Y, Li X. Enhancement of functional corticomuscular coupling after transcranial ultrasound stimulation in mice. J Neural Eng 2022; 19. [PMID: 35272276 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac5c8b] [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: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS), a large penetration depth and high spatial resolution technology, has developed rapidly in recent years. This study aimed to explore and evaluate the neuromodulation effects of TUS on mouse motor neural circuits under different parameters. APPROACH Our study used functional corticomuscular coupling (FCMC) as an index to explore the modulation mechanism for movement control under different TUS parameters (intensity [Isppa] and stimulation duration [SD]). We collected local field potential (LFP) and tail electromyographic (EMG) data under TUS in healthy mice and then introduced the time-frequency coherence method to analyze the FCMC before and after TUS in the time-frequency domain. After that, we defined the relative coherence area (RCA) to quantify the coherence between LFP and EMG under TUS. MAIN RESULTS The FCMC at theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands was enhanced after TUS, and the neuromodulation efficacy mainly occurred in the lower frequency band (theta and alpha band). After TUS with different parameters, the FCMC in all selected frequency bands showed a tendency of increasing first and then decreasing. Further analysis showed that the maximum coupling value of theta band appeared from 0.2 to 0.4 s, and that the maximum coupling value in alpha and gamma band appeared from 0 to 0.2 s. SIGNIFICANCE The aforementioned results demonstrate that FCMC in the motor cortex could be modulated by TUS. We provide a theoretical basis for further exploring the modulation mechanism of TUS parameters and clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Xie
- Yanshan University, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China, Qinhuangdao, 066004, CHINA
| | - Yingying Hao
- Yanshan University School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, 066004, CHINA
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- Yanshan University, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China, Qinhuangdao, 066004, CHINA
| | - Ziqiang Jin
- Yanshan University, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, 066004, CHINA
| | - Shengcui Cheng
- Yanshan University, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, 066004, CHINA
| | - Xin Li
- Yanshan University, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China, Qinhuangdao, 066004, CHINA
| | - Lanxiang Liu
- People's Hospital, Qinhuangdao, People's Hospital, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China, Qinhuangdao, 066004, CHINA
| | - Yi Yuan
- Yanshan University School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, 066004, CHINA
| | - Xiaoli Li
- Beijing Normal University, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, Beijing, 100000, CHINA
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Darmani G, Bergmann T, Butts Pauly K, Caskey C, de Lecea L, Fomenko A, Fouragnan E, Legon W, Murphy K, Nandi T, Phipps M, Pinton G, Ramezanpour H, Sallet J, Yaakub S, Yoo S, Chen R. Non-invasive transcranial ultrasound stimulation for neuromodulation. Clin Neurophysiol 2022; 135:51-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2021.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Zhuang X, He J, Wu J, Ji X, Chen Y, Yuan M, Zeng L. A Spatial Multitarget Ultrasound Neuromodulation System Using High-Powered 2-D Array Transducer. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2022; 69:998-1007. [PMID: 34990356 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2022.3140889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is increasingly used in experimental neuroscience due to its neuromodulatory effectiveness in animal studies. However, achieving multitarget tFUS in small animals is typically limited by transducer size, energy transfer efficiency, and brain volume. The objective of this work was to construct an ultrasound system for multitarget neuromodulation in small animals. First, a miniaturized high-powered 2-D array transducer was developed. The phase delay of each array element was calculated based on the multifocal time-reversal method, generating multiple foci simultaneously in a 3-D field. The effects of the axial focal length, interfocus spacing (lateral distance between the two focal centers), and the number of foci on the focal properties of the pressure field were examined through numerical simulations. In-vitro ultrasonic measurements and transcranial simulations on a rat skull were conducted. The minimum interfocus spacing separating two -6-dB foci and the peak full-width at half-maximum were positively correlated with axial focal length; the relative relationship between the interfocus spacing and pressure field properties was similar for each axial focal length. The maximum acoustic pressure and spatial average intensity at focus in deionized water were 2.21 MPa and 133 W/cm2, respectively. The simulated and experimental results were compared, demonstrating agreement in both peak position and focus shape. The ultrasound system can provide a neuroscientific platform for evaluating the feasibility of multitarget ultrasound stimulation treatment protocols, thus improving the understanding of functional neuroanatomy.
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42
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Duque M, Lee-Kubli CA, Tufail Y, Magaram U, Patel J, Chakraborty A, Mendoza Lopez J, Edsinger E, Vasan A, Shiao R, Weiss C, Friend J, Chalasani SH. Sonogenetic control of mammalian cells using exogenous Transient Receptor Potential A1 channels. Nat Commun 2022; 13:600. [PMID: 35140203 PMCID: PMC8828769 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28205-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound has been used to non-invasively manipulate neuronal functions in humans and other animals. However, this approach is limited as it has been challenging to target specific cells within the brain or body. Here, we identify human Transient Receptor Potential A1 (hsTRPA1) as a candidate that confers ultrasound sensitivity to mammalian cells. Ultrasound-evoked gating of hsTRPA1 specifically requires its N-terminal tip region and cholesterol interactions; and target cells with an intact actin cytoskeleton, revealing elements of the sonogenetic mechanism. Next, we use calcium imaging and electrophysiology to show that hsTRPA1 potentiates ultrasound-evoked responses in primary neurons. Furthermore, unilateral expression of hsTRPA1 in mouse layer V motor cortical neurons leads to c-fos expression and contralateral limb responses in response to ultrasound delivered through an intact skull. Collectively, we demonstrate that hsTRPA1-based sonogenetics can effectively manipulate neurons within the intact mammalian brain, a method that could be used across species. Ultrasound can be used to non-invasively control neuronal functions. Here the authors report the use of human Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (hsTRPA1) to achieve ultrasound sensitivity in mammalian cells, and show that it can be used to manipulate neurons in the mammalian brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Duque
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Corinne A Lee-Kubli
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Yusuf Tufail
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Uri Magaram
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Janki Patel
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Ahana Chakraborty
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Jose Mendoza Lopez
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Eric Edsinger
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Aditya Vasan
- Medically Advanced Devices Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Rani Shiao
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Connor Weiss
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - James Friend
- Medically Advanced Devices Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Sreekanth H Chalasani
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA. .,Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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43
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Saccher M, Kawasaki S, Onori MP, van Woerden GM, Giagka V, Dekker R. Focused ultrasound neuromodulation on a multiwell MEA. Bioelectron Med 2022; 8:2. [PMID: 35081966 PMCID: PMC8793260 DOI: 10.1186/s42234-021-00083-7] [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: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microelectrode arrays (MEA) enable the measurement and stimulation of the electrical activity of cultured cells. The integration of other neuromodulation methods will significantly enhance the application range of MEAs to study their effects on neurons. A neuromodulation method that is recently gaining more attention is focused ultrasound neuromodulation (FUS), which has the potential to treat neurological disorders reversibly and precisely. METHODS In this work, we present the integration of a focused ultrasound delivery system with a multiwell MEA plate. RESULTS The ultrasound delivery system was characterised by ultrasound pressure measurements, and the integration with the MEA plate was modelled with finite-element simulations of acoustic field parameters. The results of the simulations were validated with experimental visualisation of the ultrasound field with Schlieren imaging. In addition, the system was tested on a murine primary hippocampal neuron culture, showing that ultrasound can influence the activity of the neurons. CONCLUSIONS Our system was demonstrated to be suitable for studying the effect of focused ultrasound on neuronal cultures. The system allows reproducible experiments across the wells due to its robustness and simplicity of operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Saccher
- Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Shinnosuke Kawasaki
- Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | | | - Geeske M. van Woerden
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Vasiliki Giagka
- Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
- Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ronald Dekker
- Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
- Philips Research, Eindhoven, Netherlands
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Yoo S, Mittelstein DR, Hurt RC, Lacroix J, Shapiro MG. Focused ultrasound excites cortical neurons via mechanosensitive calcium accumulation and ion channel amplification. Nat Commun 2022; 13:493. [PMID: 35078979 PMCID: PMC8789820 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28040-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrasonic neuromodulation has the unique potential to provide non-invasive control of neural activity in deep brain regions with high spatial precision and without chemical or genetic modification. However, the biomolecular and cellular mechanisms by which focused ultrasound excites mammalian neurons have remained unclear, posing significant challenges for the use of this technology in research and potential clinical applications. Here, we show that focused ultrasound excites primary murine cortical neurons in culture through a primarily mechanical mechanism mediated by specific calcium-selective mechanosensitive ion channels. The activation of these channels results in a gradual build-up of calcium, which is amplified by calcium- and voltage-gated channels, generating a burst firing response. Cavitation, temperature changes, large-scale deformation, and synaptic transmission are not required for this excitation to occur. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of specific ion channels leads to reduced responses to ultrasound, while over-expressing these channels results in stronger ultrasonic stimulation. These findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the effect of ultrasound on neurons to facilitate the further development of ultrasonic neuromodulation and sonogenetics as tools for neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangjin Yoo
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - David R Mittelstein
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Robert C Hurt
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Jerome Lacroix
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
- Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, 91766, USA
| | - Mikhail G Shapiro
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
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45
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Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex Reduces Neuropathic Pain in Mice. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2021:6510383. [PMID: 35003307 PMCID: PMC8741380 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6510383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a potential tool for treating chronic pain by modulating the central nervous system. Herein, we aimed to determine whether transcranial FUS stimulation of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) effectively improved chronic pain in the chronic compress injury mice model at different stages of neuropathic pain. The mechanical threshold of pain was recorded in the nociceptive tests. We found FUS stimulation elevated the mechanical threshold of pain in both short-term (p < 0.01) and long-term (p < 0.05) experiments. Furthermore, we determined protein expression differences in ACC between the control group, the intervention group, and the Sham group to analyze the underlying mechanism of FUS stimulation in improving neuropathic pain. Additionally, the results showed FUS stimulation led to alterations in differential proteins in long-term experiments, including cellular processes, cellular signaling, and information storage and processing. Our findings indicate FUS may effectively alleviate mechanical neuropathic pain via the ACC's stimulation, especially in the chronic state.
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46
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Nguyen DT, Berisha DE, Konofagou EE, Dmochowski JP. Neuronal responses to focused ultrasound are gated by pre-stimulation brain rhythms. Brain Stimul 2022; 15:233-243. [PMID: 34990877 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Owing to its high spatial resolution and penetration depth, transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (tFUS) is one of the most promising approaches to non-invasive neuromodulation. Identifying the impact of endogenous neural activity on neuromodulation outcome is critical to harnessing the potential of tFUS. OBJECTIVE Here we sought to identify the relationship between pre-stimulation neural activity and the neuronal response to tFUS. METHODS We applied 3 min of continuous-wave tFUS to the hippocampal region of the rat while recording local field potentials (LFP) and multi-unit activity (MUA) from the target. We also tested the application of tFUS but with an air gap separating the transducer and the skull, as well as active stimulation of the contralateral olfactory bulb. RESULTS We observed a modest but significant increase in firing rate during hippocampal tFUS, but not during stimulation of the olfactory bulb or when an air gap was present. Importantly, the observed firing rate increase was significantly modulated by the power of baseline oscillations in the LFP, with low levels of delta (1-3 Hz) and high levels of theta (4-10 Hz) and gamma (30-250 Hz) power producing significantly larger firing rate increases. Firing rate increases were also amplified by a factor of 7× when stimulation was applied during periods of frequent sharp-wave ripple (SWR) activity. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that baseline brain rhythms may effectively "gate" the response to tFUS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc T Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, United States
| | - Destiny E Berisha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, United States
| | - Elisa E Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, United States
| | - Jacek P Dmochowski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, United States.
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47
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Riis T, Kubanek J. Effective Ultrasonic Stimulation in Human Peripheral Nervous System. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2022; 69:15-22. [PMID: 34057888 PMCID: PMC9080060 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2021.3085170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Low-intensity ultrasound can stimulate excitable cells in a noninvasive and targeted manner, but which parameters are effective has remained elusive. This question has been difficult to answer because differences in transducers and parameters-frequency in particular-lead to profound differences in the stimulated tissue volumes. The objective of this study is to control for these differences and evaluate which ultrasound parameters are effective in stimulating excitable cells. METHODS Here, we stimulated the human peripheral nervous system using a single transducer operating in a range of frequencies, and matched the stimulated volumes with an acoustic aperture. RESULTS We found that low frequencies (300 kHz) are substantially more effective in generating tactile and nociceptive responses in humans compared to high frequencies (900 kHz). The strong effect of ultrasound frequency was observed for all pressures tested, for continuous and pulsed stimuli, and for tactile and nociceptive responses. CONCLUSION This prominent effect may be explained by a mechanical force associated with ultrasound. The effect is not due to heating, which would be weaker at the low frequency. SIGNIFICANCE This controlled study reveals that ultrasonic stimulation of excitable cells is stronger at lower frequencies, which guides the choice of transducer hardware for effective ultrasonic stimulation of the peripheral nervous system in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Riis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, UT 84112 USA
| | - Jan Kubanek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, UT 84112 USA
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Chen S, Nazeri A, Baek H, Ye D, Yang Y, Yuan J, Rubin JB, Chen H. A review of bioeffects induced by focused ultrasound combined with microbubbles on the neurovascular unit. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2022; 42:3-26. [PMID: 34551608 PMCID: PMC8721781 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x211046129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Focused ultrasound combined with circulating microbubbles (FUS+MB) can transiently enhance blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability at targeted brain locations. Its great promise in improving drug delivery to the brain is reflected by a rapidly growing number of clinical trials using FUS+MB to treat various brain diseases. As the clinical applications of FUS+MB continue to expand, it is critical to have a better understanding of the molecular and cellular effects induced by FUS+MB to enhance the efficacy of current treatment and enable the discovery of new therapeutic strategies. Existing studies primarily focus on FUS+MB-induced effects on brain endothelial cells, the major cellular component of BBB. However, bioeffects induced by FUS+MB expand beyond the BBB to cells surrounding blood vessels, including astrocytes, microglia, and neurons. Together these cell types comprise the neurovascular unit (NVU). In this review, we examine cell-type-specific bioeffects of FUS+MB on different NVU components, including enhanced permeability in endothelial cells, activation of astrocytes and microglia, as well as increased intraneuron protein metabolism and neuronal activity. Finally, we discuss knowledge gaps that must be addressed to further advance clinical applications of FUS+MB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Arash Nazeri
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Hongchae Baek
- Imaging Institute and Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Dezhuang Ye
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Yaoheng Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jinyun Yuan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joshua B Rubin
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Hong Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
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Wang X, Yan J, Zhang H, Yuan Y. Ultrasonic thalamic stimulation modulates neural activity of thalamus and motor cortex in the mouse. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 34875645 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac409f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Objective.Previous studies have demonstrated that ultrasound thalamic stimulation (UTS) can treat disorders of consciousness. However, it is still unclear how UTS modulates neural activity in the thalamus and cortex.Approach.In this study, we performed UTS in mice and recorded the neural activities including spike and local field potential (LFP) of the thalamus and motor cortex (M1). We analyzed the firing rate of spikes and the power spectrum of LFPs and evaluated the coupling relationship between LFPs from the thalamus and M1 with Granger causality.Main results.Our results clearly indicate that UTS can directly induce neural activity in the thalamus and indirectly induce neural activity in the M1. We also found that there is a strong connection relationship of neural activity between thalamus and M1 under UTS.Significance.These results demonstrate that UTS can modulate the neural activity of the thalamus and M1 in mice. It has the potential to provide guidance for the ultrasound treatment of thalamus-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingran Wang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, No.438, Hebei Street, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaqing Yan
- College of Electrical and Control Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing 100041, People's Republic of China
| | - Huiran Zhang
- Department of Biological Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Yuan
- School of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, No.438, Hebei Street, Qinhuangdao 066004, People's Republic of China
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Chen Y, Li Y, Du M, Yu J, Gao F, Yuan Z, Chen Z. Ultrasound Neuromodulation: Integrating Medicine and Engineering for Neurological Disease Treatment. BIO INTEGRATION 2021. [DOI: 10.15212/bioi-2020-0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract Neurological diseases associated with dysfunctions of neural circuits, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), depression and epilepsy, have been increasingly prevalent. To tackle these issues, artificial stimulation or regulation of specific neural circuits and
nuclei are employed to alleviate or cure certain neurological diseases. In particular, ultrasound neuromodulation has been an emerging interdisciplinary approach, which integrates medicine and engineering methodologies in the treatment. With the development of medicine and engineering, ultrasound
neuromodulation has gradually been applied in the treatment of central nervous system diseases. In this review, we aimed to summarize the mechanism of ultrasound neuromodulation and the advances of focused ultrasound (FUS) in neuromodulation in recent years, with a special emphasis on its
application in central nervous system disease treatment. FUS showed great feasibility in the treatment of epilepsy, tremor, AD, depression, and brain trauma. We also suggested future directions of ultrasound neuromodulation in clinical settings, with a focus on its fusion with genetic engineering
or nanotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhao Chen
- Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Laboratory of Ultrasound Molecular Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Laboratory of Ultrasound Molecular Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China
| | - Meng Du
- Medical Imaging Centre, First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Jinsui Yu
- Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Laboratory of Ultrasound Molecular Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China
| | - Fei Gao
- Cancer Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Zhen Yuan
- Cancer Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Zhiyi Chen
- Medical Imaging Centre, First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
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