Healthy
Conditions
Brief summary
Aim: Evaluate whether sonicating the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) with transcranial focused ultrasound modifies functional connectivity between the NAc and the prefrontal cortex (PFC). In this single visit, open-label pilot trial, we plan to evaluate whether transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS), delivered to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) within the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner will impact resting state functional connectivity between the NAc and functionally connected brain regions like the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in up to 10 healthy individuals. HYPOTHESIS : tFUS will reduce prefrontal cortex (PFC)-NAc functional connectivity, in healthy individuals. We will investigate this hypothesis by administering tFUS within to MRI scanner to healthy individuals and conduct resting state functional neuroimaging before- and after the tFUS stimulation.
Interventions
Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is a promising new technology that is both noninvasive and may be focally applied to deep brain targets. tFUS utilizes transducers which contain piezoelectric elements to produce pulses of ultrasonic waves that summate deep in the brain. Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) uses a single transducer fixed in a head-worn apparatus on the scalp to produce ultrasonic waves deep into the brain.
Sponsors
Medical University of South Carolina
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Masking description
Single-blind
Intervention model description
Active or Sham tFUS
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Age 18-65 * Have the capacity and ability to provide one's own consent and sign the informed consent document
Exclusion criteria
* Contraindicated for MRI. * Any current or recent untreated medical, neurological, or psychiatric conditions * Metal implant devices in the head, heart, or neck. * History of brain surgery. * History of myocardial infarction or arrhythmia, bradycardia. * Personal or family history of seizure or epilepsy or personal use of medications that substantially reduce seizure threshold (e.g., olanzapine, chlorpromazine, lithium). * Personal history of head injury, concussion, or self-report of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. * Individuals suffering from frequent/severe headaches. * Individuals with a reported history of psychosis or mania, or individuals who are actively manic or psychotic. * Regular or recent pain medication use * Moderate to severe alcohol use (\>3 drinks/day) or illicit substance use (urine confirmed). * Persons who are pregnant or lactating
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Resting State Functional Connectivity | 24 minutes | The main outcomes of this study are brain imaging related. Using a neuroimaging technique called resting state functional connectivity, which is a statistical dependence between time series of electro-physiological activity and (de)oxygenated blood levels in distinct regions of the brain. Modularity is measured on a -1 to 1 scale, with higher scores indicating stronger community structure, or a stronger tendency of clusters of brain regions to separate into distinct, highly interconnected networks with sparse connections across networks. The optimal modularity value depends on the context. For example, during complex tasks lower modularity is better, while during basic, automatic tasks higher modularity is better. |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Active tFUS tFUS will be administered within the MRI scanner. Participants receive two, 10-min sessions of active tFUS spread 10 min apart targeting the nucleus accumbens.
transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS): Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is a promising new technology that is both noninvasive and may be focally applied to deep brain targets. tFUS utilizes transducers which contain piezoelectric elements to produce pulses of ultrasonic waves that summate deep in the brain. Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) uses a single transducer fixed in a head-worn apparatus on the scalp to produce ultrasonic waves deep into the brain. | 5 |
| Sham tFUS The sham sessions will include a transducer that is connected in a similar fashion to that of active tFUS, however the cable will not be plugged into the system, thus no ultrasound will be delivered to the participant. Participants will not know or be told whether they are receiving active- or sham- tFUS.
transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS): Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is a promising new technology that is both noninvasive and may be focally applied to deep brain targets. tFUS utilizes transducers which contain piezoelectric elements to produce pulses of ultrasonic waves that summate deep in the brain. Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) uses a single transducer fixed in a head-worn apparatus on the scalp to produce ultrasonic waves deep into the brain. | 5 |
| Total | 10 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Active tFUS | Sham tFUS | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 5 Participants | 5 Participants | 10 Participants |
| Healthy Individuals | 5 Participants | 5 Participants | 10 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 1 Participants | 1 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 4 Participants | 3 Participants | 7 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 5 Participants | 5 Participants | 10 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 2 Participants | 5 Participants | 7 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 3 Participants | 0 Participants | 3 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 5 | 0 / 5 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 5 | 0 / 5 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 5 | 0 / 5 |
Outcome results
Primary
Resting State Functional Connectivity
The main outcomes of this study are brain imaging related. Using a neuroimaging technique called resting state functional connectivity, which is a statistical dependence between time series of electro-physiological activity and (de)oxygenated blood levels in distinct regions of the brain. Modularity is measured on a -1 to 1 scale, with higher scores indicating stronger community structure, or a stronger tendency of clusters of brain regions to separate into distinct, highly interconnected networks with sparse connections across networks. The optimal modularity value depends on the context. For example, during complex tasks lower modularity is better, while during basic, automatic tasks higher modularity is better.
Time frame: 24 minutes
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active tFUS | Resting State Functional Connectivity | 0.069 z value | Standard Error 0.088 |
| Sham tFUS | Resting State Functional Connectivity | 0.160 z value | Standard Error 0.094 |