Enhancement of functional corticomuscular coupling after transcranial ultrasound stimulation in mice
Ping Xie, Yingying Hao, Xiaoling Chen, Ziqiang Jin, Shengcui Cheng, Xin Li, Lanxiang Liu, Yi Yuan, Xiaoli Li
Journal of Neural Engineering 2022 · 10.1088/1741-2552/ac5c8b
Abstract
Objective. Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS), a large penetration depth and high spatial resolution technology, has developed rapidly in recent years. This study aimed to explore and evaluate the neuromodulation effects of TUS on mouse motor neural circuits under different parameters. Approach. Our study used functional corticomuscular coupling (FCMC) as an index to explore the modulation mechanism for movement control under different TUS parameters (intensity [Isppa] and stimulation duration). We collected local field potential (LFP) and tail electromyographic (EMG) data under TUS in healthy mice and then introduced the time-frequency coherence method to analyze the FCMC before and after TUS in the time-frequency domain. After that, we defined the relative coherence area to quantify the coherence between LFP and EMG under TUS. Main results . The FCMC at theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands was enhanced after TUS, and the neuromodulation efficacy mainly occurred in the lower frequency band (theta and alpha band). After TUS with different parameters, the FCMC in all selected frequency bands showed a tendency of increasing first and then decreasing. Further analysis showed that the maximum coupling value of theta band appeared from 0.2 to 0.4 s, and that the maximum coupling value in alpha and gamma band appeared from 0 to 0.2 s. Significance . The aforementioned results demonstrate that FCMC in the motor cortex could be modulated by TUS. We provide a theoretical basis for further exploring the modulation mechanism of TUS parameters and clinical application.
Abstract via europepmc.
Exposures
Exposure 1: TUS of tail motor cortex, 500 kHz, Isppa and SD sweep
Target: motor cortex — “tail motor cortex”
Device: Olympus / Panametrics · Olympus · v301-su ✓
| Waveform | pulsed | |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamental frequency (kHz) | 500 | ✓✓✓ |
| Pulse duration (ms) | not reportedimplied by duty cycle ÷ PRF: 0.5 ms (not stated by the paper) | ⚑ |
| Pulse repetition frequency (Hz) | 1,000 | ✓✓✓ |
| Duty cycle (%) | 50 | ✓✓✓ |
| Sonication duration (s) | 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.4swept | ✓✓✓⚑ |
| Free-field pressure (kPa) | not reported | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Isppa, domain unspecified (W/cm²) | 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 0.95, 1.1swept | ✓✓✓⚑ |
30 trials per condition with a 4 s inter-trial interval; PRF 1 kHz, DC 50%; Isppa varied (0.4-1.1 W/cm2) at fixed SD, and SD varied (0.1-0.3 s) at Isppa 1.1 W/cm2.
Flags from extraction
n_subjects— Text states nine mice, but also that six were randomly selected as a sham group and nine were used in the TUS group; counts are inconsistent.exposures[0].unspecified_domain.isppa_w_cm2— Isppa (W cm-2) given with no statement of whether water or in situ; unspecified domain.exposures[0].timing.pulse_duration_ms— Tone-burst duration is only shown symbolically in a figure legend; no number in text.exposures[0].timing.sonication_duration_s— SD values 0.1-0.3 s; figure 5 caption and one results sentence give SD = 0.4 s for the intensity sweep, inconsistent with the 0.1-0.3 s range.sham_type— Sham group 'without TUS'; mechanism not described.