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Modulation of Brain Function and Behavior by Focused Ultrasound

  • Neuromodulation (C Stagg, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

The past decade has seen rapid growth in the application of focused ultrasound (FUS) as a tool for basic neuroscience research and potential treatment of brain disorders. Here, we review recent developments in our understanding of how FUS can alter brain activity, perception, and behavior when applied to the central nervous system, either alone or in combination with circulating agents.

Recent Findings

Focused ultrasound in the central nervous system can directly excite or inhibit neuronal activity, as well as affect perception and behavior. Combining FUS with intravenous microbubbles to open the blood-brain barrier also affects neural activity and behavior, and the effects may be more sustained than FUS alone. Opening the BBB also allows delivery of drugs that do not cross the intact BBB including viral vectors for gene delivery.

Summary

While further research is needed to elucidate the biophysical mechanisms, focused ultrasound, alone or in combination with other factors, is rapidly maturing as an effective technology for altering brain activity. Future challenges include refining control over targeting specificity, the volume of affected tissue, cell-type specificity (excitatory or inhibitory), and the duration of neural and behavioral effects.

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Notes

  1. Ultrasound can be characterized by the level of acoustic exposure. The field has defined two terms related to safety: thermal index (TI) and mechanical index (MI). TI is the ratio of the power used to that required to raise the temperature by 1 °C. MI denotes the peak rarefactional pressure normalized by the square root of the center frequency and is a measure of non-thermal effects such as cavitation. The average intensity is defined as the total power delivered divided by beam area (W/cm2). Spatially averaged intensity can be indicated by Isppa (W/cm2, spatial peak pulse-average intensity) while temporally averaged intensity, Ispta (spatial peak, time-averaged intensity (W/cm2)), indicates the rate of energy deposition in the tissue [41, 42].

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Funding

NIH R01MH059244 (VPF); Kavli Foundation (VPF); Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (VPF); NIH R01MH112142 (VPF, EEK); NIH R01AG038961 (EEK); NIH R01EB009041 (EEK); Wallace H. Coulter Foundation (EEK); FUS Foundation (EEK). The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Fabian Munoz & Vincent P. Ferrera

  2. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Fabian Munoz & Vincent P. Ferrera

  3. Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Fabian Munoz & Vincent P. Ferrera

  4. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Christian Aurup & Elisa E. Konofagou

  5. Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Elisa E. Konofagou

  6. Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Vincent P. Ferrera

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F.M., C.A., E.E.K., and V.P.F. participated in manuscript writing.

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Correspondence to Vincent P. Ferrera.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Neuromodulation

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Munoz, F., Aurup, C., Konofagou, E.E. et al. Modulation of Brain Function and Behavior by Focused Ultrasound. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 5, 153–164 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40473-018-0156-7

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