Non-invasive ultrasound for spatially-precise modulation of thalamic nuclei

Abstract: 

Development of therapeutic applications of ultrasound has been increasing for some years. One of the most rapidly growing areas of research in this field is transcranial ultrasonic neuromodulation, which has potential as a noninvasive, targeted therapy for treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders, and as a tool for increasing our understanding of the brain. 

I will present work performed by researchers in the Biomedical Ultrasound Group at UCL and at OxCIN, on the development of a system for ultrasonic neuromodulation in the deep brain. This work aimed to increase the accuracy and specificity of targeting over many alternative ultrasound systems, as well as other non-invasive brain stimulation modalities. I will give an overview of the physics and rationale behind the design of the system, the testing and validation used to assess its performance. I will also present results from the first study in healthy human participants performed with the system, which showed robust modulation of activity in the visual system.

Bio:  

Elly Martin is a principal research fellow and UKRI Future Leaders Fellow in the Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, UK.  Her research focuses on development of therapeutic uses of ultrasound for different applications including transcranial ultrasonic neuromodulation and thermal ablation of cancerous tumours, as well as investigating new uses of ultrasound, such as ultrasonic rewarming of biological materials after cryopreservation. Her work includes making quantitative comparisons between hydrophone measurements and simulations of acoustic fields, and the development and characterisation of ultrasound devices. This work underpins the development of model-based treatment planning and estimation of in situ acoustic parameters for ultrasound therapies.