Comparative Study of Transcranial Magneto-Acoustic Stimulation and Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation of Motor Cortex
Huiqin Wang, Xiaoqing Zhou, Dong Cui, Ruixu Liu, Ruxin Tan, Xin Wang, Zhipeng Liu, Tao Yin
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 2019 · 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00241
Abstract
Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS; f < 1 MHz) is a promising approach to non-invasive brain stimulation. Transcranial magneto-acoustic stimulation (TMAS) is a technique of neuromodulation for regulating neuroelectric-activity utilizing a magnetic-acoustic coupling electric field generated by low-intensity ultrasound and magnetic fields. However, both techniques use the physical means of low-intensity ultrasound and can induce the response of the motor cortex. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish the difference between the two techniques in the regulation of neural activity. This study is the first to quantify the amplitude and response latency of motor cortical electromyography (EMG) in mice induced by TMAS and TUS. The amplitude of EMG (2.73 ± 0.32 mV) induced by TMAS was significantly greater than that induced by TUS (2.22 ± 0.33 mV), and the EMG response latency induced by TMAS (101.25 ± 88.4 ms) was significantly lower than that induced by TUS (181.25 ± 158.4 ms). This shows that TMAS can shorten the response time of nerve activity and enhance the neuromodulation effect of TUS on the motor cortex. This provides a theoretical basis for revealing the physiological mechanisms of TMAS and the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases using it.
Abstract via europepmc.
Exposures
Exposure 1: TUS (and TMAS with static magnet) of mouse motor cortex
Target: motor cortex — “motor cortex of the mouse”
Device: Olympus / Panametrics · Olympus · V301 ✓
| Waveform | pulsed | |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamental frequency (kHz) | 500 | ✓✓✓ |
| Pulse duration (ms) | 0.6 | ✓✓✓ |
| Pulse repetition frequency (Hz) | 1,000 | ✓✓✓ |
| Duty cycle (%) | not reportedpulse duration × PRF gives 60% | ⚑ |
| Sonication duration (s) | not reported | ⚑ |
| Free-field pressure (kPa) | not applicable | |
|---|---|---|
| Free-field Isppa (W/cm²) | not reported | |
| Free-field Ispta (W/cm²) | not reported | |
| In-situ estimate | not reported | |
| In-situ pressure (kPa) | not reported | |
| In-situ Isppa (W/cm²) | not reported | |
| In-situ Ispta (W/cm²) | not reported | |
| Pressure, domain unspecified (kPa) | 83, 38, 21swept | ✓?⚑ |
| Ispta, domain unspecified (W/cm²) | 0.289 | ✓✓✓ |
500 kHz tone bursts of TBD 0.6 ms (300 cycles) at PRF 1 kHz, NTB = 400 pulses per group repeated with period T = 4 s; each train lasted 40 s (10 EMGs collected), three trains per block with 1 min interval. The TMAS arm adds a 0.3 T surface static magnet.
Flags from extraction
exposures[0].unspecified_domain.pressure_kpa— Psptp measured with a hydrophone 'at the stimulation target (head of the mouse)'; domain (water versus through skull) not clearly stated. Values are for 3 V, 1 V and 0.5 V drive.exposures[0].timing.sonication_duration_s— Each 'train' lasts 40 s but consists of 400-pulse groups repeated every 4 s, so not one uninterrupted burst.exposures[0].timing.duty_cycle_pct— Not stated.exposures[0].timing.protocol_description— Study compares TUS with TMAS (TUS plus static magnet); both arms use the same ultrasound exposure, recorded as one exposure.sham_type— No sham arm; comparison is TUS versus TMAS.