Ultrasonic Deep Brain Neuromodulation in Acute Disorders of Consciousness: A Proof-of-Concept.

ABSTRACT: The promotion of recovery in patients who have entered a disorder of consciousness (DOC; e.g., coma or vegetative states) following severe brain injury remains an enduring medical challenge despite an ever-growing scientific understanding of these conditions. Indeed, recent work has consistently implicated altered cortical modulation by deep brain structures (e.g., the thalamus and the basal ganglia) following brain damage in the arising of, and recovery from, DOCs. The (re)emergence of low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) neuromodulation may provide a means to selectively modulate the activity of deep brain structures noninvasively for the study and treatment of DOCs. This technique is unique in its combination of relatively high spatial precision and noninvasive implementation. Given

SUBMITTER: Cain JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9032970 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature