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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Hum. Neurosci.
Sec. Brain Imaging and Stimulation
Volume 18 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1486770

Running head: CHANGES IN RESTING-STATE NETWORK NODES Alterations in large-scale resting-state network nodes following transcranial focused ultrasound of deep brain structures

Provisionally accepted
Stephanie Gorka Stephanie Gorka 1*Jagan Jimmy Jagan Jimmy 1Katherine Koning Katherine Koning 1K. Luan Phan K. Luan Phan 1Natalie Rotstein Natalie Rotstein 2Bianca Hoang-Dang Bianca Hoang-Dang 2Sabrina Halavi Sabrina Halavi 2Norman M. Spivak Norman M. Spivak 2Martin Monti Martin Monti 2Nicco Reggente Nicco Reggente 3Susan Bookheimer Susan Bookheimer 2TAYLOR P. KUHN TAYLOR P. KUHN 2
  • 1 The Ohio State University, Columbus, United States
  • 2 University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States
  • 3 Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, San Monica, California, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is a brain stimulation approach that holds promise for the treatment of brain-based disorders. Studies in humans have shown that tFUS can successfully modulate perfusion in focal sonication targets including the amygdala; however, limited research has explored how tFUS impacts large-scale neural networks. Objective: The aim of the current study was to address this gap and examine changes in resting-state connectivity between large-scale network nodes using a randomized, doubleblind, within-subject crossover study design. Methods: Healthy adults (n=18) completed two tFUS sessions, 14 days apart. Each session included tFUS of either the right amygdala or the left entorhinal cortex (ErC). The inclusion of two active targets allowed for within-subjects comparisons as a function of the locus of sonication. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was collected before and after each tFUS session. Results: tFUS altered resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) within and between rs-network nodes. Pre-to-post sonication of the right amygdala modulated connectivity within nodes of the salience network (SAN) and between nodes of the SAN and the default-mode network (DMN) and fronto-parietal network (FRP). A decrease in SAN to FPN connectivity was specific to the amygdala target. Pre-to-post sonication of the left ErC modulated connectivity between the dorsal attention network (DAN) and FPN and DMN. An increase in DAN to DMN connectivity was specific to the ErC target.These preliminary findings may suggest that tFUS induces neuroplastic changes beyond the immediate sonication target. Additional studies are needed to determine the long-term stability of these effects.

    Keywords: Transcranial focused ultrasound, Resting-state functional connectivity, Amygdala, Entorhinal Cortex, Salience network (SN), Default Mode Network

    Received: 26 Aug 2024; Accepted: 06 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Gorka, Jimmy, Koning, Phan, Rotstein, Hoang-Dang, Halavi, Spivak, Monti, Reggente, Bookheimer and KUHN. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Stephanie Gorka, The Ohio State University, Columbus, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.