Ultrasound Neuromodulation Inhibits Seizures in Acute Epileptic Monkeys

Ultrasound stimulation has recently emerged as a noninvasive method for modulating brain activity. However, the effectiveness of ultrasound neuromodulation has so far been evaluated mainly in animal and human studies with healthy subjects. Whether brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and depression can be treated using ultrasound stimulation still needs to be explored. Recent studies have reported that ultrasound stimulation suppressed epileptic seizures in a rodent model of epilepsy. These findings raise the crucial question of whether ultrasound stimulation can inhibit seizures in nonhuman primates with epilepsy. Here, we address this critical question. We confirm for the first time that ultrasound stimulation significantly reduced the frequency of seizures in acute epileptic monkeys. Furthermore, the statistical results showed that the number and duration of seizures were reduced while the inter-seizure interval was increased after ultrasound stimulation. In addition, no significant brain tissue damage was observed by T2-weighted MR imaging. Our results are of great importance for future clinical applications of ultrasound neuromodulation in patients with brain diseases.