Abstract

Focused ultrasound (FUS) has potential utility for modulating regional brain excitability and possibly aiding seizure control; however, the duration of any beneficial effect is unknown. This study explores the efficacy and time course of a short series of pulsed FUS in suppressing EEG epileptiform spikes/bursts in a kainic acid (KA) animal model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Forty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were recorded for 14 weeks with EEG while software calculated EEG numbers of epileptiform spikes and bursts (=?3 spikes/s). Four regimens of FUS given in a single session at week 7 were evaluated, with mechanical index (MI) ranging from 0.25 to 0.75, intensity spatial peak temporal average (ISPTA) from 0.1 to 2.8 W per cm2, duty cycle from 1 to 30%, and three consecutive pulse trains for 5 or 10 min each. Controls included sham injections in four and KA without FUS in eleven animals. Histological analysis investigated tissue effects. All animals receiving KA evidenced EEG spikes, averaging 10,378?±?1651 spikes per 8 h and 1255?±?199 bursts per 8 h by weeks 6-7. The KA-only group showed a 30% of increase in spikes and bursts by week 14. Compared to the KA-only group, spike counts were reduced by about 25%, burst counts by about 33%, and burst durations by about 50% with FUS. Behavioral seizures were not analyzed, but electrographic seizures longer than 10 s declined up to 70% after some FUS regimens. Repeated-measure ANOVA showed a significant effect of higher intensity and longer sonication duration FUS treatment using 0.75-MI, ISPTA 2.8 W/cm2, 30% duty cycle for 10-min sonications (group effect, F (4, 15)?=?6.321, p?

View details for DOI 10.1007/s13311-022-01250-7

View details for PubMedID 35581489