Increased Excitability Induced in the Primary Motor Cortex by Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation
Increased Excitability Induced in the Primary Motor Cortex by Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation
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DOI：
10.3389/fneur.2018.01007
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发表时间：
2018-11-28
影响因子：
3.4
通讯作者：
Clark, Vincent P.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Gibson, Benjamin C.;Sanguinetti, Joseph L.;Clark, Vincent P.
背景：经颅超声刺激（tUS）是一种利用超声波无创调节大脑活动的新兴技术。与其他形式的非侵入性脑刺激（NIBS）一样，在各种研究和临床应用中，tUS可能有助于改变皮层兴奋性和神经可塑性。tUS对皮质兴奋性的影响尚不清楚，各种类型的装置、换能器布置和刺激方案提供的宽参数空间引起了进一步的并发症。诊断超声成像设备是安全的，通常可用的系统，可能对tu有用。然而，目前尚不清楚用诊断性tUS改变大脑活动的可行性。目的：我们的目的是检查一种商用诊断用成像协议对皮质兴奋性的影响。通过经颅磁刺激（TMS）运动诱发电位（MEP）模式测量，我们假设应用于运动皮层的成像tUS可以诱导皮层兴奋性的变化。方法：在单盲设计中，43名受试者被分配接受真实（n = 21）或假（n = 22）诊断tu。使用经颅磁刺激诱发的mep测量基线运动皮层兴奋性。随后，在同一皮质区域给予诊断性tUS 2分钟，紧接着是刺激后重复的mep，记录到刺激后16分钟。结果：Verum tUS在刺激后立即使运动皮层的兴奋性（比基线）增加33.7% (p = 0.009)， 6分钟后使运动皮层的兴奋性增加32.4% (p = 0.047)，刺激后11分钟的兴奋性不再与基线有显著差异。相比之下，接受假tUS的受试者MEP振幅没有明显变化。结论：这些发现表明，通过市售的诊断成像超声系统传递的tUS可以短暂地增加运动皮层的兴奋性，这是由MEPs测量的。诊断性tUS设备目前在许多医疗机构中用于内部成像，目前的结果表明，这些相同的设备也可能为中枢神经系统的非侵入性调节活动提供有前途的工具。进一步的研究探索使用诊断成像设备的神经调节是必要的。
Background: Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation (tUS) is an emerging technique that uses ultrasonic waves to noninvasively modulate brain activity. As with other forms of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), tUS may be useful for altering cortical excitability and neuroplasticity for a variety of research and clinical applications. The effects of tUS on cortical excitability are still unclear, and further complications arise from the wide parameter space offered by various types of devices, transducer arrangements, and stimulation protocols. Diagnostic ultrasound imaging devices are safe, commonly available systems that may be useful for tUS. However, the feasibility of modifying brain activity with diagnostic tUS is currently unknown.Objective: We aimed to examine the effects of a commercial diagnostic tUS device using an imaging protocol on cortical excitability. We hypothesized that imaging tUS applied to motor cortex could induce changes in cortical excitability as measured using a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) motor evoked potential (MEP) paradigm.Methods: Forty-three subjects were assigned to receive either verum (n = 21) or sham (n = 22) diagnostic tUS in a single-blind design. Baseline motor cortex excitability was measured using MEPs elicited by TMS. Diagnostic tUS was subsequently administered to the same cortical area for 2 min, immediately followed by repeated post-stimulation MEPs recorded up to 16 min post-stimulation.Results: Verum tUS increased excitability in the motor cortex (from baseline) by 33.7% immediately following tUS (p = 0.009), and 32.4% (p = 0.047) 6 min later, with excitability no longer significantly different from baseline by 11 min post-stimulation. By contrast, subjects receiving sham tUS showed no significant changes in MEP amplitude.Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that tUS delivered via a commercially available diagnostic imaging ultrasound system transiently increases excitability in the motor cortex as measured by MEPs. Diagnostic tUS devices are currently used for internal imaging in many health care settings, and the present results suggest that these same devices may also offer a promising tool for noninvasively modulating activity in the central nervous system. Further studies exploring the use of diagnostic imaging devices for neuromodulation are warranted.