Transcranial Focused Ultrasound to V5 Enhances Human Visual Motion Brain-Computer Interface by Modulating Feature-Based Attention.

Authors: Kosnoff J, Yu K, Liu C, He B

Paralysis affects roughly 1 in 50 Americans. While there is no cure for the condition, brain-computer interfaces (BCI) can allow users to control a device with their mind, bypassing the paralyzed region. Non-invasive BCIs still have high error rates, which is hypothesized to be reduced with concurrent targeted neuromodulation. This study examines whether transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) modulation can improve BCI outcomes, and what the underlying mechanism of action might be through high-density electroencephalography (EEG)-based source imaging (ESI) analyses. V5-targeted tFUS significantly reduced the error for the BCI speller task. ESI analyses showed significantly increased theta activity in the tFUS condition at both V5 and downstream the dorsal visual processing pathway. Correlation analysis indicates that the dorsal processing pathway connection was preserved during tFUS stimulation, whereas extraneous connections were severed. These results suggest that V5-targeted tFUS' mechanism of action is to raise the brain's feature-based attention to visual motion.

Introduction

Purpose Transcranial ultrasound stimulation

Study Objective To determine whether V5-targeted transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) can improve non-invasive BCI speller performance and to investigate its neural mechanism using high-density EEG-based source imaging.

Animal model / Human subject Homo sapiens (human); strain: not applicable; age: None; sex: None

Disease model Paralysis

Targeted brain region(s) V5

Cargo name and characteristics Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS): a noninvasive, targeted acoustic neuromodulation technique delivering focused ultrasound to cortical area V5 (visual motion area) to modulate neural activity (used here to increase theta activity and improve BCI speller performance)

Route of administration transcranial (transcranial focused ultrasound, non-invasive)

Outcomes and Safety

Summary of Outcomes V5-targeted transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) reduced errors in a BCI speller task and increased theta activity and preserved functional connectivity in the dorsal visual pathway, suggesting enhanced feature-based attention to visual motion.

Safety-related matter The paper does not mention any safety concerns or adverse effects.

Brain Region

Ultrasound Parameters

FUS Mode pulsed

We are open to feedback. If you see a mistake or have a suggestion, please contact us.