Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Targeting the Amygdala May Increase Psychophysiological and Subjective Negative Emotional Reactivity in Healthy Older Adults

• DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100342
• Publication Date: 2024-06-05T15:12:33Z
• Authors: Bianca Hoang-Dang; Sabrina E. Halavi; Natalie M. Rotstein; Norman M. Spivak; Nolan H. Dang; Luka Cvijanovic; Sonja H. Hiller; Mauricio Vallejo-...; Benjamin M. Rosen...; Andrew Swenson; Sergio Becerra; Michael Sun; Malina E. Revett; David Kronemyer; Rustin Berlow; Michelle G. Craske; Nanthia Suthana; Martin M. Monti; Tomislav D. Zbozinek; Susan Y. Bookheimer; Taylor P. Kuhn
• Keywords: Reactivity; Stroop effect

The amygdala is highly implicated in an array of psychiatric disorders but not accessible using currently available non-invasive neuromodulatory techniques. Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (TFUS) a technique that capable reaching subcortical regions non-invasively. Healthy older adult participants (n = 21; ages 48-79) received TFUS targeting the right and left entorhinal cortex (active control region) two-visit within-participant crossover design. Before after TFUS, behavioral measures were collected via State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) emotional reactivity regulation task (ERRT) utilizing neutral negatively valenced images from International Affective Pictures Set (IAPS). Heart rate self-reported valence arousal measured during ERRT order to investigate subjective physiological responses task. Significant increases both response negative heart inter-trial intervals observed when targeted amygdala; these changes evident was targeted. No significant found for state anxiety, images, cardiac or emotion regulation. results this study provide preliminary evidence single session may alter psychophysiological responses, indicating some potential future neuropsychiatric applications. However, further work on parameters optimization necessary determine how elicit more clinically advantageous direction.