Patch Clamp Technology for Focused Ultrasonic (FUS) Neuromodulation

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Acoustics

Background:

• Deep brain stimulation (DBS) and cortical stimulation are established neuromodulation techniques for neurological disorders.
• Current methods using penetrating electrodes are invasive, causing tissue trauma and foreign-body responses.
• Surface electrodes lack the spatial resolution for highly localized neural field generation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present a protocol for patch clamp experiments utilizing focused ultrasound for minimally invasive neuronal stimulation.
• To investigate the underlying mechanisms of neuromodulation induced by self-focusing acoustic transducers (SFATs).
• To characterize the neuromodulatory effects of SFAT-based ultrasound stimulation in rat brain slices.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of SFATs capable of focusing 2-20 MHz sound waves at submillimeter areas.
• Patch clamp experiments on rat brain slices to monitor ionic flux and local field potentials.
• Systematic variation of acoustic stimulation parameters (frequency, intensity, pulse width, etc.) and focal characteristics.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the feasibility of using low acoustic energy with SFATs for localized neuronal stimulation without ablation.
• Established a protocol for intracellular and extracellular patch clamp recordings during ultrasonic stimulation.
• Provided initial characterization of neuromodulatory functions evoked by SFATs in brain slices.

Conclusions:

• SFAT-based ultrasound stimulation offers a minimally invasive approach for neuronal modulation.
• Patch clamp experiments provide critical insights into the biological mechanisms of ultrasonic neural stimulation.
• This technique holds potential as a non-invasive alternative to electrical stimulation for treating neurological disorders like epilepsy.