Department of Anesthesiology, The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson, AZ 85718, USA.
Brain Stimul. 2013 May;6(3):409-15. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2012.05.002. Epub 2012 May 29.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Transcranial ultrasound (TUS) can modulate brain function. To assess possible TUS modulation of mental states, we investigated effects on subjective reports of pain and mood of sub-thermal TUS versus placebo applied to frontal scalp and brain of chronic pain patient volunteers.
With IRB approval and informed consent, subjects with chronic pain completed two visual analog scales for pain (NRS) and mood (VAMS/Global Affect), and their vital signs were recorded 10 min prior to, and 10 min and 40 min following exposure to either subthermal TUS (8 MHz) or placebo (in a double blind crossover study) using the 12L-RS probe of a LOGIQe ultrasound imaging machine (General Electric, USA). A physician, also blinded for TUS versus placebo, applied the probe (with gel) to scalp over posterior frontal cortex, contralateral to maximal pain, for 15 seconds. A second investigator operated the ultrasound machine, randomizing TUS versus placebo. The process was then repeated, applying the opposite modality (TUS or placebo).
Subjective reports of Mood/Global Affect were improved 10 min (P = 0.03) and 40 min (P = 0.04) following TUS compared with placebo. NRS pain reports slightly improved following TUS (P = 0.07) at 40 min.
We found improvement in subjective mood 10 min and 40 min after TUS compared to placebo. TUS can have safe neurophysiological effects on brain function, and is a promising noninvasive therapy for modulating conscious and unconscious mental states and disorders. We suggest TUS acts via intra-neuronal microtubules, which apparently resonate in TUS megahertz range.
背景/目的：经颅超声（TUS）可调节大脑功能。为了评估 TUS 对慢性疼痛患者志愿者的主观疼痛和情绪报告的可能调节作用，我们研究了亚热 TUS 与安慰剂应用于额头皮和大脑对疼痛和情绪的影响。
在获得机构审查委员会批准和知情同意的情况下，慢性疼痛患者完成了两次疼痛（NRS）和情绪（VAMS/全球影响）的视觉模拟量表，并在 10 分钟之前记录了他们的生命体征，以及在接受亚热 TUS（8 MHz）或安慰剂（在双盲交叉研究中）暴露后 10 分钟和 40 分钟，使用 LOGIQe 超声成像机（通用电气，美国）的 12L-RS 探头。一位医生也对 TUS 与安慰剂进行了盲法，将探头（带有凝胶）应用于对侧最大疼痛的后额皮质的头皮上，持续 15 秒。第二位研究人员操作超声机，随机分配 TUS 与安慰剂。然后重复该过程，应用相反的模式（TUS 或安慰剂）。
与安慰剂相比，TUS 后 10 分钟（P = 0.03）和 40 分钟（P = 0.04）时主观报告的情绪/全球影响得到改善。NRS 疼痛报告在 40 分钟时也略有改善（P = 0.07）。
我们发现 TUS 后 10 分钟和 40 分钟时主观情绪较安慰剂改善。TUS 对大脑功能具有安全的神经生理作用，是一种有前途的非侵入性治疗方法，可调节意识和无意识的精神状态和障碍。我们建议 TUS 通过神经元内的微管起作用，微管显然在 TUS 兆赫范围内产生共振。
