Ultrasound Neuromodulation for Sleep and Neurological Disorder Therapy: A Path to Clinical Translation

Abstract

Ultrasound neuromodulation is a promising noninvasive technique capable of penetrating the skull and precisely targeting deep brain regions with millimeter accuracy. Recent studies have demonstrated that transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) of sleep-related brain areas can induce sleep in mice and even trigger a reversible, hibernation-like state without causing damage. Beyond its utility in preclinical models of central nervous system diseases, such as epilepsy, tremors, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression, TUS holds significant potential for clinical translation. Given that many neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, are associated with sleep abnormalities, leveraging clinical TUS applications for these diseases also creates a pathway for translating this technology to sleep modulation in human use. These findings highlight the potential for ultrasound neuromodulation to advance neuroscience research and clinical applications in sleep control.