Deep Brain Ultrasound Augments Human Attention

Abstract

BackgroundDeep brain ultrasound offers a novel means of modulating human cognition by noninvasively targeting subcortical structures that were previously accessible only through invasive procedures. While decades of research have mapped cortical circuits of attention, the causal roles of deep hubs such as the basal ganglia and thalamus remain poorly understood in the healthy human brain. Objectives/HypothesisTo test whether low intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) of two nodes in the basal ganglia-thalamic network, the globus pallidus internus (GPi) and the pulvinar, causally alters visual attention. We hypothesized that TUS-induced modulations in attentional performance would be site specific, reflecting distinct circuit functions. ResultsAcross sessions, focal TUS accelerated reaction time in a visual search task, indicating augmented attention. Reaction time improvements were observed after stimulation relative to baseline. A dissociation emerged across sites: both GPi and pulvinar enhanced reaction times, but pulvinar yielded more robust benefits for target present trials at peripheral eccentricities, and improved search efficiency in the same trials. ConclusionsThese findings provide causal evidence that human attentional control can be steered at deep subcortical sites. TUS offers a practical approach for dissecting circuit level contributions to cognition and a potential noninvasive avenue for enhancing attention and other cognitive or affective functions.