A study published in Nature Communications presents a system that enables deep brain stimulation without the need for surgery. According to the authors, the device is the first capable of modulating deep brain regions approximately 1,000 times smaller than those accessible with conventional ultrasound devices, and 30 times smaller than those targeted by previous systems designed for deeper brain structures.
The new transcranial ultrasound system achieves high spatial precision in deep brain neuromodulation and is compatible with simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This allows real-time monitoring of neuromodulatory effects.
The new technology incorporates a transducer array configured within a special helmet, consisting of 256 individually controlled transducers operating at a frequency of 555 kHz. Focused ultrasound beams are directed at specific brain regions to increase or decrease neural activity. The system also includes a soft plastic facial mask that helps stabilize the head and improve the accuracy of ultrasound wave targeting.
Researchers from University College London and the University of Oxford demonstrated the system’s capabilities in seven healthy volunteers. Participants had no history of neurological or psychiatric disorders, had normal or corrected-to-normal vision, and were not taking any psychoactive medications. The researchers focused on a region of the thalamus — specifically a small structure in the center of the brain known as the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), a key component of the mammalian visual pathway.
In the first experiment, participants viewed a flickering checkerboard, which activated the primary visual cortex. During ultrasound stimulation of the LGN, fMRI showed a marked increase in activity in the participants’ visual cortex, confirming the precision of the targeting.
The second experiment involved theta-wave stimulation (brief 20 ms pulses delivered at a theta rhythm of 5 Hz for a total duration of 80 seconds). This led to a sustained decrease in visual cortex activity lasting at least 40 minutes after ultrasound stimulation, highlighting the system’s potential to induce long-term changes in brain function.
Researchers have long sought ways to non-invasively modulate brain function. One such approach is transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS), which offers the unique advantage of penetrating deep tissue. However, existing systems suffer from limited targeting precision, meaning that stimulation may affect a larger area than desired.
The key challenge lies in the trade-off between ultrasound frequency and spatial resolution: lower frequencies penetrate the skull more effectively but offer poorer precision, while higher frequencies provide more accurate targeting but are less able to pass through bone. The new ultrasound helmet may resolve this dilemma.
Professor Bradley Treeby from the Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering at UCL, and a co-author of the study, stated that the new insights into deep brain structures open opportunities for both neuroscience research and clinical treatment.
According to him, researchers can for the first time non-invasively study causal relationships in deep brain circuits that previously could only be investigated through surgery. This could transform the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, depression, and essential tremor, as the precision of targeting specific brain circuits involved in these conditions would be unprecedented.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS), currently used to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, requires invasive surgery and carries associated risks. The new ultrasound system offers, according to researchers, a non-invasive alternative with comparable precision. It could allow clinicians to test brain regions for therapeutic potential prior to surgery, or even fully replace surgical approaches. The system provides a safe, reversible, and repeatable method for both understanding brain function and developing targeted therapies.
Editorial Team, Medscope.pro
Sources:
1. Martin E., Roberts M., Grigoras I. F. et al. Ultrasound system for precise neuromodulation of human deep brain circuits. Nat Commun 2025 Sep 5; 16 (1): 8024, doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63020-1. 2. Midgley M. Ultrasound helmet enables deep brain stimulation in people without surgery. Medical Xpress 2025 Sep 5. Available at: www.medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-ultrasound-helmet-enables-deep-brain.html 3. Blackmore J., Shrivastava S., Sallet J. et al. Ultrasound neuromodulation: a review of results, mechanisms and safety. Ultrasound Med Biol 2019; 45 (7): 1509–1536, doi: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2018.12.015. 4. Darmani G., Bergmann T. O., Butts Pauly K. et al. Non-invasive transcranial ultrasound stimulation for neuromodulation. Clin Neurophysiol 2022; 135 : 51–73, doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2021.12.010. 5. Legon W., Ai L., Bansal P., Mueller J. K. Neuromodulation with single-element transcranial focused ultrasound in human thalamus. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39 (5): 1995–2006, doi: 10.1002/hbm.23981. 6. Badran B. W., Caulfield K. A., Stomberg-Firestein S. et al. Sonication of the anterior thalamus with MRI-guided transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) alters pain thresholds in healthy adults: a double-blind, sham-controlled study. Brain Stimul 2020; 13 (6): 1805–1812, doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2020.10.007.
Did you like this article? Would you like to comment on it? Write to us. We are interested in your opinion. We will not publish it, but we will gladly answer you.
Don‘t have an account? Create new account
Enter the email address that you registered with. We will send you instructions on how to set a new password.
