Current State of Potential Mechanisms Supporting Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Neuromodulation

• Published in: Frontiers in human neuroscience Vol. 16; p. 872639
• Main Authors: Dell'Italia, John, Sanguinetti, Joseph L, Monti, Martin M, Bystritsky, Alexander, Reggente, Nicco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Research Foundation 25.04.2022; Frontiers Media S.A
• Subjects: Acoustics; Cavitation; Energy; focused ultrasound stimulation; Human Neuroscience; low intensity focused ultrasound; Magnetic fields; Membranes; Neuromodulation; non-invasive brain stimulation; Propagation; Reviews; Sonication; transcranial focused ultrasound; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasound; Jerusalem Israel; United States > US; Israel; neuromodulation; low intensity focused ultrasound; focused ultrasound stimulation; transcranial focused ultrasound; non-invasive brain stimulation
• ISSN: 1662-5161; 1662-5161
• DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.872639

Low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) has been gaining traction as a non-invasive neuromodulation technology due to its superior spatial specificity relative to transcranial electrical/magnetic stimulation. Despite a growing literature of LIFU-induced behavioral modifications, the mechanisms of action supporting LIFU's parameter-dependent excitatory and suppressive effects are not fully understood. This review provides a comprehensive introduction to the underlying mechanics of both acoustic energy and neuronal membranes, defining the primary variables for a subsequent review of the field's proposed mechanisms supporting LIFU's neuromodulatory effects. An exhaustive review of the empirical literature was also conducted and studies were grouped based on the sonication parameters used and behavioral effects observed, with the goal of linking empirical findings to the proposed theoretical mechanisms and evaluating which model best fits the existing data. A neuronal intramembrane cavitation excitation model, which accounts for differential effects as a function of cell-type, emerged as a possible explanation for the range of excitatory effects found in the literature. The suppressive and other findings need additional theoretical mechanisms and these theoretical mechanisms need to have established relationships to sonication parameters.