# Neural mechanisms of ultrasound-induced enhancement of sensory acuity

> **NIH NIH R01** · NEW YORK MEDICAL COLLEGE · 2021 · $336,807

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Representational plasticity in the cerebral cortex is a dramatic example of the brain’s accommodative response
to injury or training. An emerging approach for rehabilitating, and potentially enhancing, sensation involves the
use of noninvasive, transcranially-directed focused ultrasound (FUS) to directly affect neural function.
Compared with other noninvasive neuromodulation techniques applicable to humans, FUS offers the possibility
of modulating neural activity with superior spatial resolution even for targets deep within the brain.
Despite the allure of FUS as a modulation approach, many aspects of the technology relevant to translational
capability are unclear, and conflicting results have been reported for even macroscopic effects. In order to fully
leverage the use of FUS for rehabilitative or augmentative purposes in humans, the impact on behavior must
be well characterized and robust. Characterizing the transformation of targeted stimulation to behavioral
changes therefore requires a combination of new experimental approaches for (1) monitoring the direct neural
effects of targeted stimulation in the brain, and (2) monitoring quantitative behavioral readouts in the same
animal.
By leveraging novel optical tools and behavioral experimental approaches, the proposed research will address
key knowledge gaps that currently limit development and refinement of FUS neuromodulation for use in
humans. Because the Aims collectively connect neural mechanisms with behavior, this work would represent a
significant step toward the potentially transformative prospect of customized sensory modulation for
therapeutic or augmentative applications.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10133069
- **Project number:** 5R01EB028319-02
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK MEDICAL COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** Jonathan A.N. Fisher
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $336,807
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-04-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10133069

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10133069, Neural mechanisms of ultrasound-induced enhancement of sensory acuity (5R01EB028319-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10133069. Licensed CC0.

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