RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Cell-Type-Selective Effects of Intramembrane Cavitation as a Unifying Theoretical Framework for Ultrasonic Neuromodulation
JF eneuro
JO eneuro
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP ENEURO.0136-15.2016
DO 10.1523/ENEURO.0136-15.2016
VO 3
IS 3
A1 Plaksin, Michael
A1 Kimmel, Eitan
A1 Shoham, Shy
YR 2016
UL http://www.eneuro.org/content/3/3/ENEURO.0136-15.2016.abstract
AB Diverse translational and research applications could benefit from the noninvasive ability to reversibly modulate (excite or suppress) CNS activity using ultrasound pulses, however, without clarifying the underlying mechanism, advanced design-based ultrasonic neuromodulation remains elusive. Recently, intramembrane cavitation within the bilayer membrane was proposed to underlie both the biomechanics and the biophysics of acoustic bio-effects, potentially explaining cortical stimulation results through a neuronal intramembrane cavitation excitation (NICE) model. Here, NICE theory is shown to provide a detailed predictive explanation for the ability of ultrasonic (US) pulses to also suppress neural circuits through cell-type-selective mechanisms: according to the predicted mechanism T-type calcium channels boost charge accumulation between short US pulses selectively in low threshold spiking interneurons, promoting net cortical network inhibition. The theoretical results fit and clarify a wide array of earlier empirical observations in both the cortex and thalamus regarding the dependence of ultrasonic neuromodulation outcomes (excitation-suppression) on stimulation and network parameters. These results further support a unifying hypothesis for ultrasonic neuromodulation, highlighting the potential of advanced waveform design for obtaining cell-type-selective network control.