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Simultaneous Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation and Fiber Photometry Recording in Free-Moving Mouse
Published on: September 6, 2024
Parameter specific modulation of neuronal firing and extracellular action potential dynamics by transcranial focused
Haorun Huang1, Charlotte Smets1, Liyi Chen1
1Exp ORL, Department of Neurosciences, The Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium.
Brain Stimulation
|June 24, 2026
Summary
Optimizing transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (TUS) parameters like pulse repetition frequency (PRF) and pulse duration (PD) is key for effective neuromodulation. This study shows specific TUS settings significantly alter neural activity and action potential shapes in the rat motor cortex.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
- Signal Processing
Background:
- Transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is a promising noninvasive neuromodulation technique.
- Understanding the precise impact of stimulation parameters on neural activity is crucial for its advancement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how varying TUS pulse repetition frequency (PRF) and pulse duration (PD) affect neural activity.
- To analyze changes in spike rate and extracellular action potential (EAP) shape in the rat motor cortex.
Main Methods:
- In vivo extracellular recordings in anesthetized rats using 32-channel silicon probes.
- Systematic variation of TUS PRF (25-2000 Hz) and PD (50-800 μs) over the motor cortex.
- Control experiments in the visual cortex and with a bar control; data analyzed using linear mixed-effects models.
Main Results:
- TUS significantly increased spike rate at 500 Hz PRF and 200 μs PD.
- Higher PRF (50 Hz) with longer PD (800 μs) yielded greater spike rate increases.
- Parameter-dependent changes in EAP shape were observed, with distinct effects in motor vs. visual cortex.
Conclusions:
- TUS modifies neural spike rate and EAP waveform features in a parameter- and region-specific manner.
- Optimizing TUS PRF and PD is essential for reproducible neuromodulation.
- Findings support TUS's potential for translational applications in neural modulation.
