Spinal cord neuromodulation for blood pressure control using low-intensity focused ultrasound

Focused ultrasound (FUS) is an innovative technology that delivers angled acoustic energy to a small target region. Previous FUS technology has demonstrated efficacy in applications such as tumor destruction, nerve modulation, and drug delivery in the brain. We investigated the effects of low-intensity FUS (LIFU) stimulation on the spinal cord and its ability to regulate mean arterial pressure (MAP). We found that LIFU stimulation on exposed rat spinal cord could modulate MAP, causing a decrease when applied at a lower thoracic level and an increase when applied at a lumbosacral level. We also found that shorter stimulation periods (30 s) were more effective in inducing a decrease in MAP than more extended stimulation periods (90 s). The time required to return to baseline for MAP was shown to increase with subsequent periods of FUS stimulation. FUS could enable non-pharmacological, spatially targeted MAP control, especially for impaired patients. Future applications of FUS neuromodulation extend into solutions for clinical blood pressure disorders, such as autonomic dysreflexia or chronic hypertension.