Focused ultrasound for modulation of the central and peripheral nervous system Free

Noninvasive neuromodulation has been the preferred option of neurological treatment but noninvasive approaches fall short when it comes to depth penetration. Ultrasound modulation has been shown feasible in several species including humans both in vitro and in vivo. In this paper, an overview of our group’s ultrasound neuromodulation in both the central (CNS) and the peripheral (PNS) nervous systems will be provided. In CNS, both motor- and sensory-related responses have been elicited in mice in vivo both in ipsilateral and contralateral limbs and pupils, respectively. The success are was highly correlated with the applied intensity and pressure in both the limb movement and ocular changes. The brain regions targeted were the somatosensory and visual cortex for the limb movement and the superior colliculus and locus coeruleus for the pupil dilation. In PNS, stimulation and inhibition of the sciatic nerve with FUS was elicited at different ultrasound parameters in vivo. Displacement of the nerve highly correlated with the elicited motor response. The success rate also correlated with higher intensities. Histology confirmed safety while temperature elevation was more correlated with inhibitory responses.