Toward a Cognitive Neural Prosthesis Using Focused Ultrasound

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Non-invasive brain stimulation using focused ultrasound (FUS) shows promise for research and clinical applications.
• FUS can be used as an extracorporeal or implantable neural prosthetic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of FUS combined with microbubbles on visual-motor decision-making in monkeys.
• To assess FUS's impact on cognitive tasks and potential interaction with psychoactive medications.

Main Methods:

• Focused ultrasound was applied to the putamen in one hemisphere of the monkeys' brains to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
• Behavioral performance, specifically visual-motor decision-making, was tested 3-4 hours post-sonication.
• The study examined FUS effects alone and in combination with a low dose of haloperidol.

Main Results:

• Monkeys exhibited faster and more accurate decisions on days treated with FUS compared to control days.
• Performance improvements suggested a modified decision criterion and enhanced sensory evidence utilization.
• FUS demonstrated an interaction with haloperidol's effects, influencing cognitive task performance.

Conclusions:

• A brief, two-minute FUS application can yield sustained improvements in complex cognitive task performance.
• FUS may enhance the efficacy of psychoactive medications.
• The findings support the dorsal striatum's role in decision-making and advocate for FUS in cognitive neural prosthetics.