Understanding the high-order network plasticity mechanisms of ultrasound neuromodulation
File(s)journal.pcbi.1013514.pdf (9.47 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Gatica, Marilyn
Atkinson-Clement, Cyril
Coronel-Oliveros, Carlos
Alkhawashki, Mohammad
Mediano, Pedro AM
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is an emerging non-invasive neuromodulation technique, offering a potential alternative to pharmacological treatments for psychiatric and neurological disorders. While functional analysis has been instrumental in characterizing the TUS effects, understanding its indirect influence across the network remains challenging. Here, we developed a whole-brain model to represent functional changes as measured by fMRI, enabling us to investigate how TUS-induced effects propagate throughout the brain with increasing stimulus intensity. We implemented two mechanisms: one based on anatomical distance and another on broadcasting dynamics, to explore plasticity-driven changes in specific brain regions. Finally, we highlighted the role of higher-order functional interactions in localizing spatial effects of off-line TUS at two target areas—the right thalamus and inferior frontal cortex—revealing distinct patterns of functional reorganization. This work lays the foundation for mechanistic insights and predictive models of TUS, advancing its potential clinical applications.
Editor(s)
Chen, Zhiyi
Date Issued
2025-10-06
Date Acceptance
2025-09-10
Citation
PLoS Computational Biology, 2025, 21 (10)
ISSN
1553-734X
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Journal / Book Title
PLoS Computational Biology
Volume
21
Issue
10
Copyright Statement
© 2025 Gatica et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/41052135
PII: PCOMPBIOL-D-25-01026
Subjects
Humans
Neuronal Plasticity
Brain
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Models, Neurological
Computational Biology
Thalamus
Nerve Net
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Article Number
e1013514
Date Publish Online
2025-10-06