Improved Anatomical Specificity of Non-invasive Neuro-stimulation by High Frequency (5 MHz) Ultrasound

作者：Guofeng Li, Huixia Zhao, Hui Zhou, Fei Yan, Jingyao Wang, Chang-Xi Xu, Congzhi Wang, Lili Niu, Long Meng, Song Wu, Huailing Zhang, Weibao Qiu, Hairong Zheng · 发表于：Scientific Reports · 年份：2016 · DOI：10.1038/srep24738 · 被引用次数：119 · 研究领域：Ultrasound and Hyperthermia Applications、Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies、Muscle activation and electromyography studies

Low frequency ultrasound (<1 MHz) has been demonstrated to be a promising approach for non-invasive neuro-stimulation. However, the focal width is limited to be half centimeter scale. Minimizing the stimulation region with higher frequency ultrasound will provide a great opportunity to expand its application. This study first time examines the feasibility of using high frequency (5 MHz) ultrasound to achieve neuro-stimulation in brain, and verifies the anatomical specificity of neuro-stimulation in vivo. 1 MHz and 5 MHz ultrasound stimulation were evaluated in the same group of mice. Electromyography (EMG) collected from tail muscles together with the motion response videos were analyzed for evaluating the stimulation effects. Our results indicate that 5 MHz ultrasound can successfully achieve neuro-stimulation. The equivalent diameter (ED) of the stimulation region with 5 MHz ultrasound (0.29 ± 0.08 mm) is significantly smaller than that with 1 MHz (0.83 ± 0.11 mm). The response latency of 5 MHz ultrasound (45 ± 31 ms) is also shorter than that of 1 MHz ultrasound (208 ± 111 ms). Consequently, high frequency (5 MHz) ultrasound can successfully activate the brain circuits in mice. It provides a smaller stimulation region, which offers improved anatomical specificity for neuro-stimulation in a non-invasive manner.