Focused Ultrasound Modulates Dopamine in a Mesolimbic Reward Circuit.

ABSTRACT: Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a significant role in reward and motivation. Dysfunction in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway has been linked to a variety of psychiatric disorders, including addiction. Low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) has demonstrated effects on brain activity, but how LIFU affects dopamine neurotransmission is not known. Here, we applied three different intensities (6.5, 13, and 26 W/cm² I_SPPA) of 2-min LIFU to the prelimbic cortex (PLC) and measured dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry. Two minutes of LIFU sonication at 13 W/cm² to the PLC significantly reduced dopamine release by ~50% for up to 2 h. However, double the intensity (26 W/cm²) resulted in less inhibition (~

SUBMITTER: Olaitan G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11791541 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature