Mapping the neural circuit of credit assignment for a new targeted intervention in addiction
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Plymouth
Department Name: Sch of Psychology
Abstract
Imagine that you cannot wear your lucky socks for an upcoming test. In the event of failure, will you blame your absent clothing or your lack of preparation? The ability to identify which actions cause a particular event to occur is called "credit assignment". This ability allows individuals to properly make decisions and learn from their mistakes.
Problems with credit assignment are linked to various mental health conditions, like addiction and obsessive-compulsive-disorders where individuals continue to believe that their drug-taking or rituals will lead to positive outcomes [1]. However, clinicians tend to define and diagnose mental illnesses in terms of their clinical symptoms, not by their underlying psychological traits or biological abnormalities [2]. No-one has yet studied how changes in the brain lead to the problems of credit assignment that are seen in psychiatric disorders. Solving this riddle will help us understand how humans can work out cause and effect, as well as what happens when they lose this ability.
My plan with this fellowship is to i) extract clinically-relevant traits that describe a person's ability - or lack thereof - for credit assignment from a large database, ii) map them onto brain mechanisms, and iii) restore the identified circuit dysfunction and therefore reduce the related maladaptive behaviours in patients suffering from addiction. To do so, I will, in a first stage, collect a large-scale dataset ("big-data") from an online study where participants will assign credit to distinct stimuli that predict a variety of events. Computational learning models will be used to explain this large dataset by teasing apart the hidden attentional and learning features of credit assignment [3-5] and relate them to various psychiatric dimensions. These will then be contrasted against neural data (acquired with fMRI while participants carry out the same credit assignment task). This will help map out the full neural circuitry involved in credit assignment and relate it to the phenotype of mental health issues.
In the second stage of the fellowship, I plan to use a cutting-edge technique called ultrasound neurostimulation to target the different parts of the brain that cause pathological credit assignment and over-reliance on habits. Ultrasound neurostimulation is an early-stage, non-invasive therapeutic technology that has the potential to improve the lives of millions of patients with mental health conditions by stimulating brain tissues with millimetre accuracy [6]. My previous research has recently shown that ultrasound can safely modulate activity in deep brain areas in macaques to elicit precise behavioural changes [7]. Importantly, its safe use in humans has also been established [8-9]. In sum, ultrasound neurostimulation will be used to restore the brain regions involved in credit assignment and alleviate the corresponding negative symptoms in patients.
This approach has the potential to help the nearly two million patients suffering from maladaptive addictive behavioural patterns by designing new stimulation paradigms that effectively restore brain function. Moreover, besides addictive disorders, ultrasound brain therapy could also be used to restore normal functioning of brain circuits involved in anxiety, mood disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders for which effective therapies are desperately needed.
[1] Everitt &al. NatNeuro. 8,1481-1489(2005). [2] Hyman &al. NatRevNeuro. 8,725-732(2007). [3] Fouragnan &al. NatComm. 6,8107(2015). [4] Fouragnan &al. SciRep. 7,4762(2017). [5] Queirazza, Fouragnan &al. forthcoming at Science Advances (2019). [6] Aubry JoAcoustSocAm. 143,1731-1731 (2018). [7] Fouragnan &al. NatNeuro. 22,797-808(2019). [8] Fomenko &al. BrainStim. 11,1209-1217(2018). [9] Tsai &al. MedHypo. 84,381-383 (2015).
Problems with credit assignment are linked to various mental health conditions, like addiction and obsessive-compulsive-disorders where individuals continue to believe that their drug-taking or rituals will lead to positive outcomes [1]. However, clinicians tend to define and diagnose mental illnesses in terms of their clinical symptoms, not by their underlying psychological traits or biological abnormalities [2]. No-one has yet studied how changes in the brain lead to the problems of credit assignment that are seen in psychiatric disorders. Solving this riddle will help us understand how humans can work out cause and effect, as well as what happens when they lose this ability.
My plan with this fellowship is to i) extract clinically-relevant traits that describe a person's ability - or lack thereof - for credit assignment from a large database, ii) map them onto brain mechanisms, and iii) restore the identified circuit dysfunction and therefore reduce the related maladaptive behaviours in patients suffering from addiction. To do so, I will, in a first stage, collect a large-scale dataset ("big-data") from an online study where participants will assign credit to distinct stimuli that predict a variety of events. Computational learning models will be used to explain this large dataset by teasing apart the hidden attentional and learning features of credit assignment [3-5] and relate them to various psychiatric dimensions. These will then be contrasted against neural data (acquired with fMRI while participants carry out the same credit assignment task). This will help map out the full neural circuitry involved in credit assignment and relate it to the phenotype of mental health issues.
In the second stage of the fellowship, I plan to use a cutting-edge technique called ultrasound neurostimulation to target the different parts of the brain that cause pathological credit assignment and over-reliance on habits. Ultrasound neurostimulation is an early-stage, non-invasive therapeutic technology that has the potential to improve the lives of millions of patients with mental health conditions by stimulating brain tissues with millimetre accuracy [6]. My previous research has recently shown that ultrasound can safely modulate activity in deep brain areas in macaques to elicit precise behavioural changes [7]. Importantly, its safe use in humans has also been established [8-9]. In sum, ultrasound neurostimulation will be used to restore the brain regions involved in credit assignment and alleviate the corresponding negative symptoms in patients.
This approach has the potential to help the nearly two million patients suffering from maladaptive addictive behavioural patterns by designing new stimulation paradigms that effectively restore brain function. Moreover, besides addictive disorders, ultrasound brain therapy could also be used to restore normal functioning of brain circuits involved in anxiety, mood disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders for which effective therapies are desperately needed.
[1] Everitt &al. NatNeuro. 8,1481-1489(2005). [2] Hyman &al. NatRevNeuro. 8,725-732(2007). [3] Fouragnan &al. NatComm. 6,8107(2015). [4] Fouragnan &al. SciRep. 7,4762(2017). [5] Queirazza, Fouragnan &al. forthcoming at Science Advances (2019). [6] Aubry JoAcoustSocAm. 143,1731-1731 (2018). [7] Fouragnan &al. NatNeuro. 22,797-808(2019). [8] Fomenko &al. BrainStim. 11,1209-1217(2018). [9] Tsai &al. MedHypo. 84,381-383 (2015).
Planned Impact
The goal of my fellowship is to identify the biomarkers of credit assignment in the human brain to develop a new circuit-based intervention for substance abuse disorders. Addiction is the 3rd most costly mental health condition in the UK (~£10 billion per annum) with very few effective treatments. My interdisciplinary work will use computational psychiatry [1,2] and a groundbreaking low-intensity ultrasound neurostimulation technique (TUS) [3,4] to improve our understanding of the relationship between the brain's neurobiology, its environment and mental symptoms. The research/innovation originating from this Fellowship is strongly aligned with UK Government priorities. Social, economic and political impacts described below will arise through the development of 1) cost-effective markers of psychiatric disorders translatable into clinical practice (WP1 - deliverables B-C) and 2) the proof of concept that TUS can be used as a treatment to reduce maladaptive behaviours in addiction (WP3-4: deliverables D-F).
Social impact: [1] Vulnerable groups and mental health patients will directly benefit from the FLF. By improving psychiatric classification, diagnosis of mental conditions and treatment for addiction using a new technology, the FLF is directly relevant for the BBSRC and MRC TTL initiative. Moreover, the application for TUS neurostimulation can be extended to many mental illnesses. Its benefits over current pharmacological treatment include: more efficient treatments, elimination of negative side effects and improved patient compliance. [2] Clinicians will benefit from more advanced and effective diagnostic tools and treatments. [3] Education & skills development: the project knowledge will be disseminated in workshop, tutorials and project to students, academics and clinicians throughout the project. [4] Third sector impact: I will work with addiction/rehabilitation and mental health services community to provide educational workshops (ex: Broadreach house charity, Plymouth).
Academic impact: [1] The FLF will foster collaboration with researchers involved in neuroscience, physics, engineering, resulting in 4 high impact articles over 4 years. Results will be disseminated at 2 EU conferences and workshops p.a., and internationally every 2 years. [2] Algorithms, code and data created during the FLF will impact other disciplines such as AI and neurosurgery, with potential growth in neurological, oncological, and musculoskeletal applications.
Economic and political impact: [1] Widescale adoption of TUS will result in the demand for equipment manufacturers, increasing jobs and CAPEX, thus boosting economy. The validation of TUS and publication of its effectiveness together with open source access to new diagnostic algorithms, support Innovate UK's "emerging and enabling technologies" and "health and life science". [2] Cost savings are envisaged due to improved diagnosis and stratification of patients thus enabling accurate treatment from first encounter with health services. TUS has the potential to improve health of addicts and thus reduces relapse and associated cost to society. [3] Alignment with government policy and MRC, BBSRC and UKRI strategic priorities including increased effectiveness of public services (NHS). [4] By proposing causal manipulation in humans as precise as studies in animals [3], we will approach the human as the ultimate experimental participants for improving human health. This meets the BBSRC's priority: "The replacement, refinement and reduction (3Rs) in research using animals". [5] In the long term the TUS technique has potential to reduce drug production and waste, resulting in less deforestation, packaging and transportation.
[1] Fouragnan &al. NatComm. 6,8107(2015). [2] Queirazza, Fouragnan &al. forthcoming Science Advances (bioRxiv, 224410). [3] Fouragnan &al. NatNeuro. 22,797-808(2019). [4] Folloni &al. Neuron 101,1109-1116(2019).
Social impact: [1] Vulnerable groups and mental health patients will directly benefit from the FLF. By improving psychiatric classification, diagnosis of mental conditions and treatment for addiction using a new technology, the FLF is directly relevant for the BBSRC and MRC TTL initiative. Moreover, the application for TUS neurostimulation can be extended to many mental illnesses. Its benefits over current pharmacological treatment include: more efficient treatments, elimination of negative side effects and improved patient compliance. [2] Clinicians will benefit from more advanced and effective diagnostic tools and treatments. [3] Education & skills development: the project knowledge will be disseminated in workshop, tutorials and project to students, academics and clinicians throughout the project. [4] Third sector impact: I will work with addiction/rehabilitation and mental health services community to provide educational workshops (ex: Broadreach house charity, Plymouth).
Academic impact: [1] The FLF will foster collaboration with researchers involved in neuroscience, physics, engineering, resulting in 4 high impact articles over 4 years. Results will be disseminated at 2 EU conferences and workshops p.a., and internationally every 2 years. [2] Algorithms, code and data created during the FLF will impact other disciplines such as AI and neurosurgery, with potential growth in neurological, oncological, and musculoskeletal applications.
Economic and political impact: [1] Widescale adoption of TUS will result in the demand for equipment manufacturers, increasing jobs and CAPEX, thus boosting economy. The validation of TUS and publication of its effectiveness together with open source access to new diagnostic algorithms, support Innovate UK's "emerging and enabling technologies" and "health and life science". [2] Cost savings are envisaged due to improved diagnosis and stratification of patients thus enabling accurate treatment from first encounter with health services. TUS has the potential to improve health of addicts and thus reduces relapse and associated cost to society. [3] Alignment with government policy and MRC, BBSRC and UKRI strategic priorities including increased effectiveness of public services (NHS). [4] By proposing causal manipulation in humans as precise as studies in animals [3], we will approach the human as the ultimate experimental participants for improving human health. This meets the BBSRC's priority: "The replacement, refinement and reduction (3Rs) in research using animals". [5] In the long term the TUS technique has potential to reduce drug production and waste, resulting in less deforestation, packaging and transportation.
[1] Fouragnan &al. NatComm. 6,8107(2015). [2] Queirazza, Fouragnan &al. forthcoming Science Advances (bioRxiv, 224410). [3] Fouragnan &al. NatNeuro. 22,797-808(2019). [4] Folloni &al. Neuron 101,1109-1116(2019).
Organisations
- University of Plymouth (Lead Research Organisation)
- UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN (Collaboration)
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research (Collaboration)
- Brainbox Ltd. (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (Collaboration)
- Stanford University (Collaboration)
- University of Huddersfield (Collaboration)
- Trinity College Dublin (Collaboration)
- KING'S COLLEGE LONDON (Collaboration)
- Inserm (Project Partner)
Publications

Arabadzhiyska DH
(2022)
A Common Neural Account for Social and Nonsocial Decisions.
in The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience


Darmani G
(2022)
Non-invasive transcranial ultrasound stimulation for neuromodulation.
in Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology

Folloni D
(2021)
Ultrasound modulation of macaque prefrontal cortex selectively alters credit assignment-related activity and behavior.
in Science advances

Fouragnan EF
(2024)
Timing along the cardiac cycle modulates neural signals of reward-based learning.
in Nature communications

Klein-Flügge MC
(2024)
The importance of acoustic output measurement and monitoring for the replicability of transcranial ultrasonic stimulation studies.
in Brain stimulation

Komarnyckyj
(2022)
At-risk alcohol users have disrupted valence discrimination during reward anticipation
in Addiction Biology

Komarnyckyj M
(2023)
Anticipatory reward dysfunction in alcohol dependence: An electroencephalography monetary incentive delay task study
in Addiction Neuroscience

Komarnyckyj M
(2022)
At-risk alcohol users have disrupted valence discrimination during reward anticipation.
in Addiction biology
Description | Since the beginning of my award, I have demonstrated that sound waves can be used to safely modify human brain activity (Yaakub et al, Brain Stimulation 2023; Yaakub et al, Nature Communication 2023). Research in my lab confirms that Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation (TUS) surpasses established brain stimulation methods, by affording transient manipulation of neural activity, even deep in the brain with unprecedented precision (Fouragnan et al, Nature Neuroscience 2019; Science Advance 2021). So far, this has been replicated across five studies in humans using similar TUS protocols. By developing cutting-edge TUS capability in humans, I have established one of the most advanced and comprehensive human TUS labs in the world. The feasibility of my work rests on my extensive experience of combining neuroimaging, neurostimulation, computational modelling and engineering, which provide the backbone of my approach. In the last two years, our TUS work has been cited more than 700 times, the Open Access tools that we developed are used by more than 41 users in institutions worldwide use, I have been invited to 15 international conferences (2 as keynote speaker), did 8 media interviews, and participated in online courses (including Stanford) and educational videos (YouTube link > 600 views). In the last REF assessment at my institution, I submitted 4 papers judged to be 4* by external peer review. |
Exploitation Route | I have also contributed to the success of my field by creating Open Access software and hardware. My postdoc and I developed a deep-learning tool to quantify the skull from anatomical MRI (link) and create personalised TUS planning (Yaakub et al, Brain Stimulation 2023). The software is used across many labs (UK, Europe, US and China, 41 users). To perform quality assessment, I also built a low-cost hydrophone tank to control TUS acoustic outputs and ensure reproducibility. My team and I also created a range of 3D adapters and electric connectors to integrate TUS into multi-modal functions. As a result, I contribute to consortium papers for regulatory bodies (Attali et al, Brain Stimulation 2022; Darmani et al, Clinical Neurophysiology 2021) and seat on four advisory boards for TUS research projects, including KCL and Glasgow. I have been instrumental in the development of the £9M Brain Research Imaging Centre (BRIC) facility, the largest of its kind in the Southwest of the UK. I played an integral role in its development, designed, and developed entirely the Brain Stimulation unit from scratch, securing funds for equipment (£168k) and MR scanning (£119k), and leading its integration into multimodal research. As the Head of the unit, I have partnered with the NHS (through Derriford Hospital serving areas of Devon and Cornwall), Science Park (the region's largest science and technology centre) and DDRC Healthcare (a worldwide specialist in hyperbaric oxygen therapy). I oversee processes, security, training, and good practices of research, as well as coordinate and support research projects. This unit has become a main hub for research and teaching, bringing many schools together, including Medicine, Artificial Intelligence, Engineering and Psychology across Faculties. |
Sectors | Education Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
Description | Safety and efficiency concerns rising directly from this work have been discussed with the International Transcranial Ultrasonic Stimulation Safety and Standards which is an international consortium working together towards the safe and effective application of transcranial focused ultrasound for neuromodulation. ITRUSST aims to establish consensus on expert guides, guidelines, and standardization for this neuromodulatory technique. During ITRUSST monthly meetings, discussions include expertise from different laboratories and teams, including mine. |
First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
Sector | Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
Impact Types | Policy & public services |
Description | Characterising the circuitry underlying simulation and how it misbehaves to create worry to Dr Toby Wise (collaborator) |
Amount | £2,140,669 (GBP) |
Organisation | King's College London |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2023 |
End | 05/2028 |
Description | Multi-site And State-dependent Effects Of Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation On Brain Function And Cognition |
Amount | £1,200,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/Y001494/1 |
Organisation | University of Plymouth |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2024 |
End | 03/2028 |
Description | Multiple BRIC Pump Priming |
Amount | £35,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Plymouth |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2021 |
End | 01/2024 |
Description | Neural basis of credit assignment |
Amount | £61,326 (GBP) |
Funding ID | GA105283-104 |
Organisation | University of Plymouth |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2021 |
End | 08/2024 |
Description | New generation of ultrasound brain stimulation device for double-blinded investigations |
Amount | £116,200 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Plymouth |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2022 |
End | 06/2023 |
Description | Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research |
Amount | £2,947 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Plymouth |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2023 |
End | 10/2024 |
Title | Open Access software. Deep-learning tool to quantify the skull from anatomical MRI |
Description | My postdoc and I developed a deep-learning tool to quantify the skull from anatomical MRI (https://github.com/sitiny/mr-to-pct) and create personalised TUS planning (Yaakub et al, Brain Stimulation 2023). The software is used across many labs (UK, Europe, US and China, 41 users). |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Collaboration with many labs across the world, invitation to workshops, conferences. |
URL | https://github.com/sitiny/mr-to-pct |
Title | Data of Neural implementation of computational mechanisms underlying the continuous trade-off between cooperation and competition. |
Description | This project contains the data, scripts and functions to run: i) analysis of participants' behavioural data ii) modelling of behavioural data In the folder "Behavioural data" there are 25 sub folders SubXX where XX is the progressive number of couple of subjects. Within each subfolder three files correspond to the three conditions A: cooperative condition B: intermediate condition C: competitive condition |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Nature Communications paper |
URL | https://osf.io/sydea/ |
Title | Data of Transcranial focused ultrasound-mediated neurochemical and functional connectivity changes in deep cortical regions in humans |
Description | This data repository contains the raw and analysed data supporting the findings in "Transcranial focused ultrasound-mediated neurochemical and functional connectivity changes in deep cortical regions in humans", Yaakub et al., 2023. bioRxiv preprint: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.20.524869v1 |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Publication pending at Nature Communications |
URL | https://osf.io/rp5g4/ |
Description | BrainBox Initiaive |
Organisation | Brainbox Ltd. |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Workshop on TUS |
Collaborator Contribution | Provide equipment, sponsorship |
Impact | Increased visibility, training of multiple PIs from all over the world |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Co-I on Leverhulme Grant to Patric Bach |
Organisation | University of Aberdeen |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The research program proceeds in three independent work packages. All use variants of the above described experimental paradigm. Participants view video-snippets of actions (e.g. reaching for/withdrawing from objects) and report the hand's last location (on a touch screen or by comparing it to a probe stimulus). By comparing these judgments with what was actually presented, it provides robust quantitative measures of how perception is shaped by different expectations about the action. My contribution is on the computational side of thigs. I provide machine learning codes and scripts for analysis of EEG data. |
Collaborator Contribution | Work package 1 will use behavioural/computational techniques to test whether (1) varying information about the actor's mental states affects action perception, whether (2) these biases reflect "illusory" changes to visual perception (rather than mere changes in interpretation or memory), and (3) how visual perception, in turn, affects subsequent mental state attributions. ?Work package 2 will combine EEG/ERP and fMRI neuroimaging with computational modelling techniques to (1) track in time how expectations affect perception and are updated by it, and (2) reveal the brain regions underlying these processes. Work package 3 will use EEG and fMRI multivariate/ machine learning methods to (1) test whether expected actions are encoded in the brain similarly to actions that are actually observed, and (2) whether this similarity enables superposition - and comparison - of expectation and perception. |
Impact | Paper in preparation |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Collaboration with Clayton Hickey, Birmingham |
Organisation | University of Birmingham |
Department | Phenome Centre Birmingham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Applied for grant together - did not get funded but will target another grant |
Collaborator Contribution | Applied for grant together - did not get funded but will target another grant |
Impact | Wrote a grant |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | Collaboration with Kim Butts Pauly, Stanford, USA |
Organisation | Stanford University |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | ITRUSST, international consortium working together towards the safe and effective application of transcranial focused ultrasound for neuromodulation, working on safety of TUS |
Collaborator Contribution | Provides advice on offline TUS, partner in new grant |
Impact | On going papers |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Collaboration with Salvador Guinjoan, Oklahoma, USA |
Organisation | Laureate Institute for Brain Research |
Country | United States |
Sector | Learned Society |
PI Contribution | The contribution of the team is to plan for TUS stimulation (run simulations) and providing expertise in the method for this research project. Potentially, this collaboration may lead to a grant submission. |
Collaborator Contribution | Salvador Guinjoan is a psychiatrist currently working at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (a not-for-profit institution working on neurobiological basis of psychiatric disorders), and the Oklahoma Univ School of Community Medicine in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. His current main focus here is repetitive negative thinking in major depression. Salvador is acquiring fmRI data and will run research on Major Depressed Patients. |
Impact | N/A yet. |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Collaboration with Toby Wise at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London. |
Organisation | King's College London |
Department | Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The research is on the mechanisms underlying pathological worry in the context of anxiety. The contribution of the team is to plan for TUS stimulation (run simulations) and providing expertise in the method for this research project. Potentially, this collaboration may lead to a grant submission. |
Collaborator Contribution | Toby Wise has designed the project, developed the task and is planning on investigating the neural bases of pathological worry with fMRI. |
Impact | Multi-disciplinary: Engineering, Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience. No outcome yet. |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | University of Dublin clinical group |
Organisation | Trinity College Dublin |
Country | Ireland |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Contributed to the analysis and dissemination of report of pre-existing data related to addiction. |
Collaborator Contribution | Expertise in analysing neural data related to this patients group |
Impact | Paper entitled "At-risk alcohol users have disrupted valence discrimination during reward anticipation" is under review |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | University of Huddersfiled clinical group |
Organisation | University of Huddersfield |
Department | Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Expertise in Machine Learning and analysing complex neural data |
Collaborator Contribution | Expertise in recruiting alcohol dependent patients Expertise in setting up experimental design for alcohol dependant patients |
Impact | At-risk alcohol users have disrupted valence discrimination during reward anticipation" by Komarnyckyj, Mica; Retzler, Chris; Cao, Zhipeng; Ganis, Giorgio; Murphy, Anna ; Whelan, Robert; Fouragnan, Elsa, published at Addiction Biology Pending: Title: Anticipatory Reward Dysfunction in Alcohol Dependence: An Electroencephalography Monetary Incentive Delay Task Study Corresponding Author: Miss Mica Komarnyckyj Co-Authors: Chris Retzler; Robert Whelan; Oliver Young; Elsa Fouragnan; Anna Murphy Manuscript Number: ADDICN-D-22-00107 |
Start Year | 2021 |
Title | Estimating individual skull geometry for Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation simulation |
Description | The skull accounts for the bulk of transcranial ultrasound attenuation and aberration. To make sure Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation (TUS) simulations are as accurate as possible, we create individual skull maps for any participant that wish to participate in a TUS experiment. The best way to do this is to obtain a computed tomography (CT) image of the head, however, this involves a CT scan and radiation. We developed a deep learning method to synthesize pseudo-CT from a structural magnetic resonance image (MRI) of the head. This allow us and collaborators to estimate skull images using a 3T Siemens MRI scanner. |
Type Of Technology | New/Improved Technique/Technology |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | Four collaborations have started with different universities and laboratories as a result of the development of this research tool. One grant will be submitted soon. This research tool will be published soon and made available to others. |
URL | https://www.elsa-fouragnan.com/accousticplanning |
Description | Animate your science |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | The goal of this public health campaign was to educate a majority of people on focused ultrasound with a short animated video disseminated on major internet platform (youtube and other webpages). The dissemination of the video includes local (plymouth based) online health and learning communities like the Brain Research Imaging Center, local economic boards and innovation hubs (Science Park), focused ultrasound foundations (like FUSfoundation, ThUNDDAR, ITRUSST), social media with linking relevant policy makers & adding impactful tags. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsuqRldCspU |
Description | Debate discussion at the Computational Properties Prefrontal Cortex 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Prefrontal circuit properties can be detected macroscopically by measuring its aggregate activity, oscillations and long range interactions and microscopically via direct recordings. These dynamics in general and oscillations in particular are constrained by the physiological and anatomical properties of the PFC. However, while we know a lot about oscillations in primary motor and sensory cortices and some subcortical brain regions such as the hippocampus, our knowledge of larger oscillatory pat |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://cppc.web.ox.ac.uk/chairs |
Description | How Ultrasound Could Be Used To Treat Psychiatric Disorders |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Journalist interview |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://scitechdaily.com/how-ultrasound-could-be-used-to-treat-psychiatric-disorders/ |
Description | International Expert Group on Transcranial Ultrasonic Stimulation Safety and Standards (ITRUSST) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | The group, comprised of key TUS researchers, industry partners, regulatory bodies, and agencies, will seek to establish a series of agreed guidelines for all researchers using non-invasive ultrasound neuromodulation techniques, covering reporting, safety, ethics, experiments, and clinical trials. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022,2023 |
URL | https://itrusst.github.io/ |
Description | Stanford online class |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Invited lecture |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReP_66XKl4s |
Description | workshop on TUS |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Across three days, the Brainbox Initiative will be joined by world-leading academic and technical experts in transcranial-focused ultrasound (tFUS/TUS) techniques for a series of interactive sessions designed especially to give attendees a solid understanding of the physical and biomechanics bases, challenges and potentials; TUS study development and applications; and how to design, prepare, carry out, and analyse TUS studies in a safe and replicable way. Over the course of three days, we explore topics such as: The basic principles and physiology of transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation; An introduction to the basic principles and physiology of TUS; The pros and cons of using TUS and ways to counteract these limitations; An in-depth look at the safety and efficiency considerations for TUS studies; Practical demonstrations of different kinds of TUS protocols, including online & offline-TUS; Considerations for TUS study design, supplemented with group discussions; Interactive, practical demonstrations of TUS techniques, measurements, and simulation of acoustic fields; and much more. Our workshop programmes are created in collaboration with leading neuroscientists from around the world. Dr Elsa Fouragnan and members of her lab will be leading this programme and workshop The programmes for all of our Brainbox Initiative workshops are developed in conjunction with the Brainbox Initiative Scientific Committee and other leading neuroscience researchers. Workshop Details Date: April 30 - May 2, 2024 Location: University of Plymouth Workshop Organisers & Speakers Dr Elsa Fouragnan, Plymouth University Dr Elly Martin, University College London Dr Miriam Klein Flugge, Oxford University Dr Nadege Bault, Plymouth University |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |