Transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation of the thalamic visual pathway in a large animal model and the dose-response relationship with MR-ARFI

Morteza Mohammadjavadi; Ryan T Ash; Ningrui Li; Pooja Gaur; Jan Kubanek; Yamil Saenz; Gary H Glover; Gerald R Popelka; Anthoney M Norcia; Kim Butts Pauly

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-20554-4

Transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation of the thalamic visual pathway in a large animal model and the dose-response relationship with MR-ARFI

Sci Rep. 2022 Nov 15;12(1):19588. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-20554-4.

Authors

Morteza Mohammadjavadi¹, Ryan T Ash², Ningrui Li³, Pooja Gaur¹, Jan Kubanek⁴, Yamil Saenz¹, Gary H Glover^{1

3}, Gerald R Popelka^{1

5}, Anthoney M Norcia⁶, Kim Butts Pauly^{7

8

9}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
² Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
³ Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
⁴ Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
⁵ Department of Otolaryngology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
⁶ Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
⁷ Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. [email protected].
⁸ Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. [email protected].
⁹ Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. [email protected].

Abstract

Neuromodulation of deep brain structures via transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is a promising, but still elusive approach to non-invasive treatment of brain disorders. The purpose of this study was to confirm that MR-guided TUS of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) can modulate visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in the intact large animal; and to study the impact on cortical brain oscillations. The LGN on one side was identified with T2-weighted MRI in sheep (all male, n = 9). MR acoustic radiation force imaging (MR-ARFI) was used to confirm localization of the targeted area in the brain. Electroencephalographic (EEG) signals were recorded, and the visual evoked potential (VEP) peak-to-peak amplitude (N70 and P100) was calculated for each trial. Time-frequency spectral analysis was performed to elucidate the effect of TUS on cortical brain dynamics. The VEP peak-to-peak amplitude was reversibly suppressed relative to baseline during TUS. Dynamic spectral analysis demonstrated a change in cortical oscillations when TUS is paired with visual sensory input. Sonication-associated microscopic displacements, as measured by MR-ARFI, correlated with the TUS-mediated suppression of visual evoked activity. TUS non-invasively delivered to LGN can neuromodulate visual activity and oscillatory dynamics in large mammalian brains.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Animals
Evoked Potentials, Visual*
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Mammals
Models, Animal
Sheep
Ultrasonography
Visual Pathways* / physiology

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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