EFFECTS OF TRANSCRANIAL ULTRASOUND (‘TUS’) ON WORKING MEMORY

Abstract

Previous literature has demonstrated the ability of TMS and tDCS to modulate prefrontal networks involved in verbal working memory and produce improvements on verbal working memory tasks. The goal of this study was to attempt to recreate these results using a novel form of non-invasive brain stimulation that uses transcranial ultrasound (TUS) to modulate neural networks. In this study 20 participants were trained on the 3-back task, a version of the n-back task, and 11 received sham stimulation while the other 9 received active stimulation to the left Dorsoal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC). Subjects then completed the 3-back task right after stimulation and 20 minutes after stimulation. Additionally, mood data was collected using the Visual Analogue Mood Scale (VAMS) before each 3-back session. Overall the results of the study showed no significant improvements in subjects receiving stimulation on the 3-back task or improvements in mood. Therefore this study suggests more research needs to be done to understand how ultrasound may be able to modulate the prefrontal cortex and to identify potential TUS parameters that may be able to modulate the prefrontal cortex.