Transcranial Pulsed Ultrasound Stimulates Intact Brain Circuits

Yusuf Tufail, Alexei Matyushov, Nathan Baldwin, Monica L. Tauchmann, Joseph Georges, Anna Yoshihiro, Stephen Helms Tillery, William Tyler

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

656 Scopus citations

Abstract

Electromagnetic-based methods of stimulating brain activity require invasive procedures or have other limitations. Deep-brain stimulation requires surgically implanted electrodes. Transcranial magnetic stimulation does not require surgery, but suffers from low spatial resolution. Optogenetic-based approaches have unrivaled spatial precision, but require genetic manipulation. In search of a potential solution to these limitations, we began investigating the influence of transcranial pulsed ultrasound on neuronal activity in the intact mouse brain. In motor cortex, ultrasound-stimulated neuronal activity was sufficient to evoke motor behaviors. Deeper in subcortical circuits, we used targeted transcranial ultrasound to stimulate neuronal activity and synchronous oscillations in the intact hippocampus. We found that ultrasound triggers TTX-sensitive neuronal activity in the absence of a rise in brain temperature (<0.01°C). Here, we also report that transcranial pulsed ultrasound for intact brain circuit stimulation has a lateral spatial resolution of approximately 2 mm and does not require exogenous factors or surgical invasion.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)681-694
Number of pages14
JournalNeuron
Volume66
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2010

Keywords

  • Sysneuro

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Transcranial Pulsed Ultrasound Stimulates Intact Brain Circuits'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this