Ultrasound waves activate brain circuits in living animals for the first time

A new study provides the first visual evidence showing that brain circuits in living animals can be activated by. Furthermore, ultrasound waves projected into specific models (holograms). Furthermore,

Directed by scientists from Nyu Langone Health. Similarly, Additionally. Furthermore, the University of Zurich and Eth Zurich in Switzerland, the study describes a system that combines ultrasonic wave sources and a fiber range connected to a camera to visualize in the brain targets of study mice which are directly activated by sound. Nevertheless, This lays the foundations. Therefore. However, according to the authors of the study, for a new way of treating neurological diseases and mental health disorders from the outside of the body.

Already. For example. In addition, there are applications approved by Food and Drug Administration and designed to reduce the ultrasound waves activate brain circuits new symptoms of tremors ultrasound waves activate brain circuits observed in Parkinson’s disease, using intense sound waves to kill brain cells called neuronal neurons related to tremors. Meanwhile, Rather than killing neurons, low -intensity ultrasound waves used in current work can temporarily activate them, according to researchers. However, The resulting effects can be spread because neurons relay messages to other neurons in their circuits. Nevertheless, between interconnected neural circuits.

The direct observation of the effects of this technology. In addition. called stimulation by transcranial ultrasound (TUS), in a living brain is difficult, but studying neurons in a laboratory dish does not precisely reflect how the ultrasound waves travel through the skull or behave in three -dimensional tissues. For Tus therapy to be safe. effective. according to researchers, ultrasound waves must target specific brain areas and must be calibrated so that the signal is strong enough to penetrate the skull, but not ultrasound waves activate brain circuits new so strong as to damage delicate brain tissue.

ultrasound waves activate brain circuits

Published in the journal Biomedical engineering of nature Online on July 7. this study presented experiences carried out in a living brain which reproduced with precision how a neuron activated in. a part of the brain can have large -scale effects through connected circuits.

Our work shows that the activation of whole sets of neural networks with stimulation by transcranial ultrasound in. a living mouse brain is possible. “”

Shoham. doctorate, author of the co-senior study

The author of the other Co-Senior is Daniel Razansky, PHD, at the University of Zurich and Eth Zurich in Switzerland.

“We also found that by focusing on the circuits of neurons which are distributed between the regions of the. brain rather than in an individual region. Tus exploits interconnections in the circuits to make the ultrasound waves activate brain circuits new neurons targeted 10 times more sensitive to ultrasound”. ” Said Shoham, who ultrasound waves activate brain circuits is co -director of the Nyu Langone Health Tech4health Institute, and professor in the departments of ophthalmology and neurosciences of NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “This discovery potentially makes the technique more effective. lowers the ultrasound power required and could open the way to more safe transcranial ultrasonic stimulation treatments in the future. »»

To study the activation of circuits in an intact brain. the researchers had to strike several brain regions with sound waves while directly monitoring which neurons are activated in. the process.

Under the direction of Shoham. Razansky. the researchers positioned themselves above the mouse of the head of the helmet to 512 ultrasound transmitters that was developed by the Swiss team, the team created holograms from ultrasound images (like Princess Leia in Star Wars films). Sound waves interfering with ultrasound waves activate brain circuits new each other can also create “images” – in this case. essentially concentrating the waves of the sound ultrasound waves activate brain circuits from the emitters in defined geometric models. such as triangles or pentagons, on the surface of the brain.

As the neurons in the hologram regions have activated. they generated a fluorescence signal that the camera has recorded. allowing researchers to measure to the extent to which different brain regions were activated in response to the TU.

“Our results provide new information on how stimulation by Transcranial ultrasound activates circuits within a living organization,” said Shoham. “We hope that the techniques. calculation models that we have developed will help other founding researchers to probe the mechanisms of different cerebral circuits.

In the future. Shoham said that researchers wanted to explore the activation of the more complex neural circuits. test if they can use ultrasound to activate the circuits more ultrasound waves activate brain circuits new deeply in the brain. Some applications are already tested in the clinic.

Support for financing this study was provided by the ultrasound waves activate brain circuits subsidies of the National Institutes. of Health RF1NS126102. R01NS109885. Additional funding has been provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation.

The postdoctoral fellow theo lemaire is a co-researcher of Nyu Langone involved in this study. Other co-researchers of the study are the first author Hector Estrada. Yiming Chen, Neda Davoudi, Ali Özbek and Qendressa Parduzi at the University of Zurich and Eth Zurich.