Transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation induces neuronal correlation change in the rat somatosensory cortex.

Objective. Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is a neuromodulation technique which has been the focus of increasing interest for noninvasive brain stimulation with high spatial specificity. Its ability to excite and inhibit neural circuits as well as to modulate perception and behavior has been demonstrated, however, we currently lack understanding of how tFUS modulates the ways neurons interact with each other. This understanding would help elucidate tFUS's mechanism of systemic neuromodulation and allow future development of therapies for treating neurological disorders. Approach. In this study, we investigate how tFUS modulates neural interaction and response to peripheral electrical limb stimulation through intracranial multi-electrode recordings in the rat somatosensory cortex. We deliver ultrasound in a pulsed pattern to induce frequency dependent plasticity in a manner similar to what is found following electrical stimulation. Main Results. We show that neural firing in response to peripheral electrical stimulation is increased after ultrasound stimulation at all frequencies, showing tFUS induced changes in excitability of individual neurons in vivo . We demonstrate tFUS sonication repetition frequency dependent pairwise correlation changes between neurons, with both increases and decreases observed at different frequencies. Significance. These results extend previous research showing tFUS to be capable of inducing synaptic depression and demonstrate its ability to modulate network dynamics as a whole.