Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Alters Conflict and Emotional Processing, Physiology, and Performance I: Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex Targeting
medRxiv November 27, 2020 Maria Fini, William J. Tyler 5 citations preprint
Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) targeted to the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) can alter emotional processing and enhance sustained attention. Subjects receiving MR-neuronavigated tFUS showed significantly reduced reaction time slowing from emotional distractors and increased parasympathetic markers of heart rate variability compared to a sham group. Effects included altered event related potentials, reduced alpha suppression, and modulation of delta and theta EEG activity. The authors conclude that the dACC is a viable target for tFUS to modulate default mode network activity, emotional attention, and cognitive control, with potential applications for mental health disorders involving perturbed DMN activity such as depression and anxiety.