Ventricle stimulation as a potential gold-standard control stimulation site for transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation

Abstract

This research investigates whether ventricular-focused ultrasound stimulation (ventricle-FUS) can serve as an effective control in studies using transcranial FUS, a non-invasive technology for brain modulation. FUS has notable potential for therapeutic applications but requires a robust control to accurately assess its effects. We evaluated the effectiveness of ventricle-FUS, as an active, non-cerebrum control for FUS research, comparing it to sham stimulation. We conducted a comprehensive assessment of ventricle-FUS, employing both questionnaires and multiple neuroimaging metrics such as grey matter and white matter volumes, and functional connectivity. Ventricle-FUS did not alter any of these metrics, thereby successfully retaining the auditory, somatosensory, and experiential elements of FUS without affecting brain structure or function. Importantly, participants were unable to distinguish whether they received ventricle-FUS or sham FUS. Our findings confirm that ventricle-FUS establishes it as a reliable control approach in FUS research, crucial for advancing its therapeutic applications.