Transcranial ultrasound stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus modulates cognitive function in humans
Terra Fairbanks, Alan Coreas, Siyun Li, Shirshak Shrestha, Hrishikesh Raghuram, Milad Naghizadeh, G. Bruce Pike, Samuel Pichardo, Julia W. Y. Kam, Fady Girgis
Scientific Reports 2026 · 10.1038/s41598-026-65207-y
human healthyhealthybehaviour
Specieshuman
Subjects28 participants
Sessions per subject1
Randomisedyes
Blindingdouble
Sham / controlinactive transducer
Auditory controlmasking sound, post hoc check
Readout timingoffline
Anaesthesianot applicable
Readoutsbehaviour — Stroop task (Stroop effect, response time, accuracy); finger-tapping frequency by accelerometer
Direction of effectmixed or unclearStroop effect decreased after TUS versus sham (43.87 vs 54.55 ms, p = 0.05), significant in the multifocal group only; no effect on finger tapping or accuracy. Protocol was expected to be inhibitory.
Adverse eventsobservedQuestionnaire after each session: minimal mild side effects (jaw muscle tightness most common), no significant TUS versus sham differences; simulated brain temperature rise 0.2-0.61 °C.
Exposures
Exposure 1: STN TUS (unifocal and multifocal)
Target: subthalamic nucleus — “subthalamic nucleus (STN)”
Device: Sonic Concepts · Sonic Concepts · H317 128-element phased array transducer ✓
| Waveform | pulsed | |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamental frequency (kHz) | 250 | ✓✓✓ |
| Pulse duration (ms) | not reportedimplied by duty cycle ÷ PRF: 1 ms (not stated by the paper) | ⚑ |
| Pulse repetition frequency (Hz) | 100 | ✓✓✓ |
| Duty cycle (%) | 10 | ✓✓✓ |
| Sonication duration (s) | 120, 30swept | ✓✓✓⚑ |
| Free-field pressure (kPa) | not reported | ⚑ |
|---|---|---|
| Free-field Isppa (W/cm²) | 49.82, 44swept | ✓✓✓⚑ |
| Free-field Ispta (W/cm²) | not reported | |
| In-situ estimate | simulationsingle value | |
| In-situ pressure (kPa) | not reported | |
| In-situ Isppa (W/cm²) | 10 | ✓✓✓⚑ |
| In-situ Ispta (W/cm²) | 1 | ✓✓✓ |
Protocol, in the paper’s words
Unifocal: one focus for 120 s; multifocal: electronic steering through 7 foci for 30 s each (210 s total); 10% duty cycle, 100 Hz PRF, 25% ramping (12.5% up and down) within each burst; delivered once per session.
Flags from extraction
exposures[0].timing.pulse_duration_ms— Pulse (burst) duration not stated; only duty cycle 10% and PRF 100 Hz given; not computed.exposures[0].timing.sonication_duration_s— Unifocal 120 s; multifocal 30 s at each of 7 foci (210 s total); listed as [120, 30].exposures[0].free_field.isppa_w_cm2— Mean Isppa in water for unifocal (49.82) and multifocal (44.0) groups, varying with individual insertion loss.exposures[0].in_situ.isppa_w_cm2— Target in situ Isppa 10 W/cm2 and Ispta 1 W/cm2 from BabelBrain planning (simulation), constant across participants.exposures[0].free_field.pressure_kpa— Only calibration maximum (0.98 MPa) stated for the transducer, not an exposure pressure; not recorded.exposures[0].target.terms— Unifocal and multifocal groups at the left STN combined into one exposure.