Ultrasound Deep Brain Stimulation Modulates Body Temperature in Mice

Abstract

Body temperature plays a critical role in rehabilitation, and numerous studies proved that the regulation of body temperature contributes to the sensorimotor recovery of patients with brain diseases such as stroke. The hypothalamus plays a key role in thermoregulation. Ultrasound deep brain stimulation (UDBS) can noninvasively modulate deep brain nuclei and have potential applications in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and depression, among others. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether ultrasound stimulation of the hypothalamus could regulate body temperature in free-moving mice. Results showed that thermoregulation was related to ultrasonic parameters (pulse repetition frequency (PRF), duty cycle, total time, and acoustic pressure). UDBS of the preoptic area of the anterior hypothalamus at 500 Hz PRF could significantly reduce body temperature (ΔT = -0.25 ± 0.073 °C at t = 5 min, ΔT = -0.51 ± 0.19 °C at t = 10 min, ΔT = -0.84 ± 0.27 °C at t = 15 min). Meanwhile, UDBS of the dorsomedial hypothalamus at 10 Hz PRF triggered a significant increase in body temperature (ΔT = 0.5 ± 0.077 °C at t = 5 min, ΔT = 1.16 ± 0.23 °C at t = 10 min). These results suggest that UDBS, as a noninvasive neuromodulation tool, may play a key role in the future clinical treatment of malignant hyperthermia and hypothermia.

Induction of a torpor-like hypothermic and hypometabolic state in rodents by ultrasound

“…Ultrasound is the only available energy form that can noninvasively penetrate the skull and focus on any location within the brain with millimeter precision and without ionizing radiation 16 , 17 . These capabilities, along with its safety, portability and low cost, have made ultrasound a promising technology for neuromodulation in small animals 18 , 19 , non-human primates 20 , 21 and humans 16 , 22 , although its mechanism remains elusive. Here, we report noninvasive, precise and safe induction of a torpor-like state in mice through remote ultrasound stimulation at the POA (Fig.…”

Ultrasound Deep Brain Stimulation Regulates Food Intake and Body Weight in Mice

“…Transcranial ultrasound offers a non-invasive way to focalize energy to deep brain regions [13][14][15]. Rodent, nonhuman primate and human studies have experimentally proven that low-intensity ultrasound can produce effective neuromodulation without evidence of neurologic injury [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Ultrasound stimulation can significantly decrease ischemic lesions in ischemic stroke rat models [22][23][24] and reduce recovery time in mice with traumatic brain injury [25].…”