Methods for modifying electrical currents in neuronal circuits

摘要

A method for modifying neuronal activity in a subject with focused ultrasound pulses (“FUP”) is provided. Such a methods is applicable for research, treatment, and diagnosis of psychiatric, neurological, and neuroendocrine disorders whose biological mechanisms include neuronal circuits in the brain. The application of focused ultrasound pulses is generally via multiple ultrasound transducers that are housed in a cap worn by the subject. The application of FUP at different tone burst duration, total sonication duration, and pulse repetition frequency settings results in either the inducement of either an increase or decrease in neuronal activity.

主权项

1. A method for modifying neuronal activity within a brain of a mammal, the steps comprising:
a) using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system to identify a location in the brain that is to receive pulses of focused ultrasound, the identified location including a live neuronal circuit in the brain of the mammal; b) using an ultrasound system to apply pulses of focused ultrasound to the identified location to release naturally occurring hormones and modulating a level of the naturally occurring hormones, each pulse of focused ultrasound having (i) a prescribed tone burst duration (TBD) in a range of 2-100 milliseconds (ms) and the pulses being applied during a continuous sonication period having a prescribed total sonication duration (TSD) between 0.1 and 2 seconds in order to increase neuronal activity of the neuronal circuit and increase a BOLD response of the neuronal circuit that is measurable using the MRI, or (ii) a TBD less than 2 ms and the pulses being applied during a sonication period having a TSD between 2 and 9 seconds in order to decrease neuronal activity of the neuronal circuit and inhibit the measurable BOLD response.