Ultrasonic neuromodulation of deep grey matter structures for the non-invasive treatment of neurological disorders

Lead Research Organisation: University of Oxford
Department Name: Clinical Neurosciences

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
 
Description This award has substantially advanced our understanding of how to develop ultrasound as a tool for neuroscientific and clinical questions. The most tangible outcome is a working prototype of a state-of-the-art piece of equipment, which we are currently in the final phases of gaining ethical approval to use. The award has also allowed us to develop our collaborations with BUG at UCL, leading to a further publication, with more in the pipeline. The award has set the scene for further funding to develop ultrasound neuromodulation.
Exploitation Route The research findings are either published or in the process of being written up - these will be used within the field to guide further work. The prototype will be used for extensive future research in my group and other groups at the University of Oxford initially, and then nationally and internationally.
Sectors Healthcare
 
Description Senior Research Fellowship: Towards physiologically-informed rehabilitation therapies
Amount £2,073,725 (GBP)
Funding ID 224430/Z/21/Z 
Organisation Wellcome Trust 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 08/2022 
End 08/2027
 
Description Sir Henry Wellcome Fellowship - Dr Polytimi Frangou
Amount £300,000 (GBP)
Organisation Wellcome Trust 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2022 
End 01/2026
 
Title Experimental Assessment of Skull Aberration and Transmission Loss at 270 kHz for Focused Ultrasound Stimulation of the Primary Visual Cortex 
Description This data was collected in order to assess acoustic field aberrations and transmission loss induced by human skulls in the context of focused ultrasound stimulation of the primary visual cortex (V1) region of the brain. A 2 element spherically focusing annular array ultrasound transducer (H115, driven at 270 kHz, Sonic Concepts) was used to generate an acoustic field. Measurements were performed with a 0.2 mm PVDF needle hydrophone (Precision Acoustics) with right angle connector to reduce its length so it could be accommodated within the skull cavity. The transducer was driven under quasi continuous wave conditions at low drive level to produce a linear field. The transducer was held in a fixed position, the skull was positioned to obtain the correct focal alignment and the hydrophone was held in a 3D printed mount with manual alignment in the axial direction and automated scanning in the lateral directions. Measurements were performed inside 3 human skulls which had previously had the superior section of the parietal and frontal bones removed. Measurements were made with the transducer positioned at two locations for each skull corresponding to the focal region intersecting with the positions of the left and right V1 regions of the brain, with a 1 cm separation between source and skull. For each position, the hydrophone was aligned with the focus inside the skull, then a planar scan was performed covering the largest possible area while avoiding collision of the hydrophone with the skull bone. The skull was then removed and a 2nd scan was performed in water as a reference, the axial position was determined from time of flight in free field during these reference water scans. The study consists of 6 datasets, each of which contains a planar scan made within the skull cavity, and a reference planar scan in water after the skull was removed, preserving the coordinates. File 1: skull 2120, left V1 File 2: skull 2120, right V1 File 3: skull 2150, left V1 File 4: skull 2150, right V1 File 5: skull 2125, left V1 File 6: skull 2125, right V1 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2021 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact These data serve as a highly useful open dataset for researchers around the world. 
URL https://rdr.ucl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Experimental_Assessment_of_Skull_Aberration_and_Transmission_...
 
Description Dr Elsa Fouragnan FLF 
Organisation University of Plymouth
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I have been collaborating with Dr Fouragnan for her recently awarded Future Leaders Fellowship, on which I am a named collaborator. Dr Fouragnan is setting up imaging in Plymouth and we are aiding her with setting up her lab and developing the sequences. This work will lead to a joint project, hopefully with a coauthored publication.
Collaborator Contribution Dr Fouragnan has been leading the research and providing the ultrasound equipment and driving the research questions.
Impact This collaboration is very recent as Dr Fouragnan is only now setting up her lab, so there are no outputs as yet.
Start Year 2021
 
Description ITRUSTT 
Organisation Radboud University Nijmegen
Country Netherlands 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I have been involved in the formation of an international consensus group for ultrasound neuromodulation, led by Dr Lennart Verhagen. This encompasses experts from a wide range of centres around the world to come together to develop standards for safety, reporting, practice, ethics and clinical implementation amongst other things.
Collaborator Contribution Many experts around the world have started to draft relevant documents to be developed into internationally agreed standards.
Impact The discussions are still in a very early stage as the group was only formed in January.
Start Year 2021
 
Description ITRUSTT 
Organisation Radboud University Nijmegen
Country Netherlands 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I have been involved in the formation of an international consensus group for ultrasound neuromodulation, led by Dr Lennart Verhagen. This encompasses experts from a wide range of centres around the world to come together to develop standards for safety, reporting, practice, ethics and clinical implementation amongst other things.
Collaborator Contribution Many experts around the world have started to draft relevant documents to be developed into internationally agreed standards.
Impact The discussions are still in a very early stage as the group was only formed in January.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Centre for the Creative Brain 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The Centre for the Creative Brain at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, hosts termly events bringing together experts from across disciplines to discuss topics at the intersection of Neuroscience and Creativity. The events were held on-line during the pandemic, when we had an international reach. Since October 2021 we have gone back to in person events, with recordings made for uploading to our youtube channel, but we are actively working to make future events hybrid.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019,2020,2021,2022
URL https://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/discover/research/centre-for-the-creative-brain-2
 
Description Curiosity Champion, Curiosity Box 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact I acted as a Curiosity Champion for the Curiosity Box, an online resource for school-age children, which allowed me to discuss my research with a new audience. This sparked on-line interest in our research via social media platforms such as twitter.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Interview for Andrew Marr: My Brain and Me, BBC Two February 2017 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact This documentary highlighted novel potential therapies for the treatment of neurological conditions, in this case recovery after stroke. As such, there was a wide-range discussion, which acted to inform the audience as to new research directions. The documentary resulted in emails from interested audience members, both stroke survivors and neurologically intact individuals.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08flqbv