4.7 Article

Induction of Human Motor Cortex Plasticity by Theta Burst Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation

Journal

ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY
Volume 91, Issue 2, Pages 238-252

Publisher

WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/ana.26294

Keywords

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Funding

  1. Canadian Institutes of Health Research [FDN 154292, ENG 173742]
  2. Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada [RGPIN-2020-04176]
  3. Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) postdoctoral fellowship [MFE-171317]
  4. German Research Foundation [DFG DA 2374/1-1]
  5. Krembil Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award
  6. CIHR Banting and Best Doctoral Award
  7. University of Manitoba Clinician Investigator Program
  8. Queen Elizabeth Graduate Student Scholarships in Science and Technology

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Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) has been shown to effectively induce cortical plasticity in human subjects, with the potential for neuromodulation treatment for neurological and psychiatric disorders, as well as advancing neuroscience research. This study demonstrated the efficacy of TUS in increasing corticospinal excitability and modulating intracortical inhibition and facilitation in the motor cortex.
Objective Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is a promising noninvasive brain stimulation technique with advantages of high spatial precision and ability to target deep brain regions. This study aimed to develop a TUS protocol to effectively induce brain plasticity in human subjects. Methods An 80-second train of theta burst patterned TUS (tbTUS), regularly patterned TUS (rTUS) with the same sonication duration, and sham tbTUS was delivered to the motor cortex in healthy subjects. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to examine changes in corticospinal excitability, intracortical inhibition and facilitation, and the site of plasticity induction. The effects of motor cortical tbTUS on a visuomotor task and the effects of occipital cortex tbTUS on motor cortical excitability were also tested. Results The tbTUS produced consistent increase in corticospinal excitability for at least 30 minutes, whereas rTUS and sham tbTUS produced no significant change. tbTUS decreased short-interval intracortical inhibition and increased intracortical facilitation. The effects of TMS in different current directions suggested that the site of the plastic changes was within the motor cortex. tbTUS to the occipital cortex did not change motor cortical excitability. Motor cortical tbTUS shortened movement time in a visuomotor task. Interpretation tbTUS is a novel and efficient paradigm to induce cortical plasticity in humans. It has the potential to be developed for neuromodulation treatment for neurological and psychiatric disorders, and to advance neuroscience research. ANN NEUROL 2022

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