Figure 3 | Scientific Reports

Figure 3

From: Transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation of the thalamic visual pathway in a large animal model and the dose-response relationship with MR-ARFI

Figure 3

The impact of LGN TUS on VEPs outlasts the duration of sonication. Effect of LGN (red) and non-LGN control (gray, 10–15 mm anterior of LGN) sonication on VEPs for the three interleaved stimulus conditions (Light-only, Light-plus-TUS and TUS-only). (A) Top row: Mean + /- SEM VEP waveforms in the Light-only condition for LGN (red line, N = 6) and non-LGN control (gray line, N = 5) sonication. Responses were smoothed (15-point moving averages filter) for illustration purposes. Bottom row: Boxplots of VEP Peak-to-peak amplitude for LGN and non-LGN control sonication, light-only trials. (*p = 0.004, one-tailed unpaired t-test). Box depicts interquartile range, and dashed error bars depict full range of values. (B) Data presented as in A, but for the light-plus-TUS condition. Gray bar illustrates time course of TUS relative to visual stimulus onset. Difference between LGN and non-LGN: p = 0.07. (C) Data presented as in A, for the TUS-only condition (i.e., no visual stimulus). Note the minimal overall response, indicative of little-to-no nonspecific auditory or somatosensory responses to transducer vibration. The transient ~ 100 ms increase in voltage at TUS onset with LGN stimulation, is primarily due to responses in a single animal (see outlier dot in bottom row), indicative potentially of a subtle depolarizing effect of LGN-TUS in this animal, and/or an EEG artifact of TUS.

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