A Physiological Marker for Deep Brain Ultrasonic Neuromodulation

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation (TUSN) offers noninvasive, spatially specific brain treatments.
• Individual skull and neural variations necessitate personalized TUSN therapies.
• Ultrasound-induced voltage potentials offer a potential method for guiding TUSN.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the use of electroencephalography (EEG) to measure ultrasound-induced voltage potentials for guiding TUSN.
• To determine if EEG can be used to identify optimal deep brain targets for TUSN.

Main Methods:

• EEG responses were recorded in nonhuman primates during sonication of 12 targets around deep brain nuclei.
• Ultrasound evoked potentials were measured following deep brain ultrasonic modulation.
• A behavioral study assessed the correlation between EEG responses and TUSN effects on visual behavior.

Main Results:

• Reliable ultrasound evoked potentials were measured using EEG after deep brain ultrasonic modulation in nonhuman primates.
• Robust EEG responses were observed after minimal ultrasonic stimuli (ten repetitions).
• Specific deep brain targets reliably evoked these EEG potentials, and behavior correlated with EEG targets.

Conclusions:

• EEG reliably detects ultrasound evoked potentials, confirming its utility in guiding TUSN.
• This study demonstrates the feasibility of using EEG for precise, individualized TUSN therapies.
• EEG-based guidance can enhance the efficacy and specificity of TUSN treatments.