Source 1review2026MED
Toolkit/transcranial focused ultrasound
transcranial focused ultrasound
Also known as: targeted thalamic tFUS, tFUS, thalamic tFUS, transcranial ultrasound stimulation, TUS, ultrasonic neuromodulation
Taxonomy: Mechanism Branch / Architecture. Workflows sit above the mechanism and technique branches rather than replacing them.
Summary
High-signal enrichment leads include earlier domain reviews that frame psychiatric LIFU/tFUS and summarize human parameterization. Explicitly supported related component/tool names in discovered sources include transcranial focused ultrasound/transcranial ultrasound stimulation (tFUS/TUS).
Usefulness & Problems
No literature-backed usefulness or problem-fit explainer has been materialized for this record yet.
Published Workflows
Objective: To longitudinally evaluate clinical and neural outcomes following right central thalamic transcranial focused ultrasound treatment in a patient with chronic minimally conscious state.
Why it works: The paper presents a multimodal longitudinal design in which behavioral scales, fNIRS connectivity, and EEG spectral measures are tracked alongside repeated thalamic tFUS sessions to assess whether clinical recovery parallels neural reorganization.
modulation of thalamus-linked consciousness circuitrynormalization of dysfunctional cortical rhythmsreintegration of large-scale brain networkstranscranial focused ultrasound treatmentlongitudinal clinical assessmentresting-state fNIRS monitoringEEG spectral monitoring
Stages
- 1.Therapeutic tFUS treatment course(functional_characterization)
This stage delivers the neuromodulation intervention whose clinical and neural effects are being evaluated.
Selection: Repeated right central thalamus stimulation was administered as the intervention under study.
- 2.Longitudinal clinical and multimodal neural assessment(confirmatory_validation)
This stage tests whether behavioral recovery is accompanied by neural reorganization and whether the intervention is tolerated.
Selection: Behavioral scales, fNIRS, and EEG were used to assess clinical and neural outcomes after treatment.
Steps
- 1.Administer repeated right central thalamic tFUS sessionstherapeutic neuromodulation intervention
To apply non-invasive thalamic neuromodulation in a patient with chronic minimally conscious state.
The intervention must be delivered before longitudinal outcomes can be assessed.
- 2.Assess behavioral recovery with clinical scales
To measure clinical changes in consciousness and behavior over the treatment course.
Clinical assessment is needed to determine whether the intervention is associated with meaningful behavioral recovery.
- 3.Measure cortical functional connectivity with resting-state fNIRSnetwork monitoring assay
To track cortical functional connectivity changes accompanying treatment.
fNIRS provides a neural network-level readout to interpret whether behavioral recovery is accompanied by cortical reorganization.
- 4.Analyze neurophysiological dynamics with EEGspectral monitoring assay
To monitor neurophysiological dynamics and pathological slow-wave activity during treatment.
EEG provides a complementary neural readout to test whether recovery parallels normalization of dysfunctional cortical rhythms.
Objective: Apply transcranial focused ultrasound to patients in a safe, controlled, and reproducible manner for network-level treatment and interrogation of psychiatric and neurological disorders.
Why it works: The abstract links the workflow to the modality's noninvasiveness, flexibility, and spatial precision, and states that practical guidelines address target identification, skull attenuation compensation, targeting and dosing validation, safe parameter selection, and sustained therapeutic effects.
modulation of deep neural circuitsreset of deep neural circuitstreatment target identificationskull attenuation compensationtargeting validationdosing validationstimulation parameter selection
Stages
- 1.Identification of appropriate treatment targets(decision_gate)
The abstract states that practical guidelines include identification of appropriate treatment targets for patient application.
Selection: appropriate treatment targets
- 2.Compensation for ultrasound attenuation by the skull and head(secondary_characterization)
The abstract explicitly includes compensation for skull and head attenuation in the practical guidelines.
Selection: compensation for ultrasound attenuation by the skull and head
- 3.Targeting and dosing validation(confirmatory_validation)
The abstract explicitly states that the guidelines include targeting and dosing validation.
Selection: validated targeting and dosing
- 4.Selection of effective and safe stimulation parameters(decision_gate)
The abstract states that the guidelines include selection of effective and safe stimulation parameters.
Selection: effective and safe stimulation parameters
- 5.Considerations for inducing sustained therapeutic effects(functional_characterization)
The abstract includes considerations for inducing sustained therapeutic effects as part of the guidelines.
Selection: potential to induce sustained therapeutic effects
Objective: Assess whether transcranial focused ultrasound decreases default mode network connectivity in individuals with major depressive disorder and explore whether connectivity changes track changes in depressive symptoms and repetitive negative thought.
Why it works: The study rationale is that tFUS can directly target a hypothesized neural mechanism in depression, namely default mode network hyperconnectivity.
modulation of default mode network hyperconnectivitytargeting the left anterior medial prefrontal cortex as a major default mode network hubtranscranial focused ultrasound treatmentresting-state functional magnetic resonance imagingself-report assessmentclinical interview
Stages
- 1.tFUS treatment phase(functional_characterization)
This stage delivers the neuromodulation intervention whose effect on DMN connectivity and symptoms is being assessed.
Selection: Participants with major depressive disorder completed up to 11 sessions of tFUS targeting the left anterior medial prefrontal cortex.
- 2.pre/post imaging and clinical assessment(confirmatory_validation)
This stage tests whether the intervention changed the hypothesized neural mechanism and associated clinical measures.
Selection: Before commencing and after completing treatment, participants completed resting-state fMRI, self-report assessments, and clinical interviews.
Steps
- 1.Deliver repeated tFUS sessions to the left anterior medial prefrontal cortexneuromodulation intervention
Apply the treatment intended to modulate default mode network hyperconnectivity in major depressive disorder.
The intervention must be delivered before post-treatment imaging and symptom assessment can test for change.
- 2.Measure resting-state fMRI connectivity and clinical outcomes before and after treatment
Determine whether tFUS changed default mode network connectivity and whether clinical measures changed across treatment.
Pre/post assessment is performed around the treatment period to quantify treatment-associated change.
Objective: Develop a realistic numerical framework for estimating focused acoustic transmission through the human skull during high-intensity and high-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation and use it to inform neuromodulation planning.
Why it works: The workflow combines experimentally derived layer-specific acoustic properties with nonlinear time-explicit simulation so that skull transmission and focal behavior can be modeled more realistically than with frequency-domain simulation alone.
frequency-dependent acoustic propagation through layered head tissuesnonlinear ultrasound propagationskull-geometry effects on focal zone and penetrationfrequency harmonicsfrequency-domain numerical simulationtime-explicit numerical simulationcomparative computational modelingparameter sensitivity analysis
Stages
- 1.Five-layer head model construction with frequency-dependent acoustic properties(library_design)
This stage establishes the layered numerical representation and acoustic parameterization needed for subsequent simulation of skull transmission and focal behavior.
Selection: Represent skin, trabecular bone, cortical bone, and brain with experimentally derived acoustic properties across a clinically relevant frequency range.
- 2.Frequency-domain and time-explicit simulation of ultrasound propagation(functional_characterization)
This stage measures the main acoustic outputs and enables direct comparison between modeling approaches.
Selection: Quantify sound transmission loss and focal depth under high-intensity and high-frequency stimulation using both simulation approaches.
- 3.Sensitivity analysis of skull geometry and frequency effects(secondary_characterization)
This stage identifies which skull and stimulation parameters most strongly shape focal behavior and transmission, informing optimization and target selection.
Selection: Assess effects of frequency, radius of curvature, and skull thickness on maximum pressure ratio, focal depth, and focus zone.
Objective: Enhance targeting specificity and energy delivery of transcranial focused ultrasound in subject-specific head models by correcting skull-induced phase aberrations for a targeted left V5 region.
Why it works: The workflow compares free-field and skull-aberrated waveforms to estimate phase differences caused by the skull, then uses those differences to compute corrective delays for each transducer element.
correction of skull-induced phase aberrationsper-element delay compensation for transcranial focusingsubject-specific MR and pseudo-CT head modelingk-Wave acoustic simulationphase-reversal based delay estimation
Stages
- 1.Subject-specific head model construction(library_design)
This stage provides the individualized anatomical and skull-property model needed for downstream acoustic simulation and correction estimation.
Selection: Construct head models that accurately represent subject-specific skull geometries and the targeted left V5 region.
- 2.Acoustic simulation and phase-difference estimation(functional_characterization)
This stage estimates the skull-induced phase distortion that must be compensated to restore the intended focus.
Selection: Acquire free-field and skull-aberrated pressure waveforms and compute phase differences for each transducer element.
- 3.Quantitative performance evaluation(confirmatory_validation)
This stage tests whether the computed correction improves targeting specificity and energy deposition.
Selection: Assess focal overlap, axial focal positioning, and delivered ultrasound energy after correction.
Steps
- 1.Construct individual head models from MR and pseudo-CT data
Represent subject-specific skull geometries and the targeted left V5 region for simulation.
Subject-specific anatomy is needed before acoustic propagation and aberration can be simulated.
- 2.Acquire free-field pressure waveforms with k-Wavesimulation tool
Establish a reference acoustic field without skull-induced aberration.
A free-field reference is required before comparing against skull-aberrated waveforms to estimate phase distortion.
- 3.Record aberrated waveforms in the presence of the skullsimulation tool
Measure how the skull alters the acoustic waveforms relative to free-field conditions.
This follows free-field simulation so the skull-induced phase differences can be isolated by direct comparison.
- 4.Compute per-element corrective delays from phase differencescorrection method applied to transducer elements
Generate element-specific delay corrections that compensate for skull-induced phase distortion.
Corrective delays can only be computed after both free-field and skull-aberrated waveforms are available for comparison.
- 5.Quantitatively evaluate corrected targeting performancemethod under evaluation
Assess whether correction improves overlap with the target, axial focal positioning, and delivered energy.
Performance evaluation is done after corrective delays are computed so the effect of the correction can be measured.
- 6.Compare proposed approach against conventional ray-tracing methodsmethod under comparison
Determine whether the proposed correction approach outperforms a conventional alternative.
Comparator analysis follows metric generation so relative performance can be judged on the same evaluation basis.
Objective: Chart a strategic path forward for focused ultrasound applications in psychiatry by evaluating critical challenges and translational priorities across lesioning, neuromodulation, and targeted drug delivery.
Why it works: The roadmap argues that integrating circuit-based precision psychiatry with better control of devices, parameters, reporting, protocol harmonization, and real-time target-engagement monitoring should improve translation of focused ultrasound interventions.
focal lesioningneuromodulationtargeted drug deliverycircuit-based precision psychiatrystandardized reporting methodologiesprotocol harmonizationreal-time monitoring of target engagementtarget mapping
Objective: To noninvasively stimulate the human primary somatosensory cortex using image-guided transcranial focused ultrasound and assess responses with electrophysiological readouts.
Why it works: The provided source summary indicates that image guidance was used to target the cortical region and electrophysiological readouts were used to detect stimulation-related responses.
stimulation of human primary somatosensory cortexMRI/CT-guided targetingEEG readoutsomatosensory evoked potential readout
Stages
- 1.Image-guided targeting(functional_characterization)
The source summary explicitly states that MRI/CT guidance was used for targeting before electrophysiological readout.
Selection: MRI/CT-guided localization of the human primary somatosensory cortex for transcranial focused ultrasound application
- 2.Electrophysiological response assessment(confirmatory_validation)
The source summary explicitly identifies EEG and SEP as readouts used to assess the stimulation paradigm.
Selection: EEG and somatosensory evoked potential readouts after focused ultrasound stimulation
Taxonomy & Function
Primary hierarchy
Mechanism Branch
Architecture: A delivery strategy grouped with the mechanism branch because it determines how a system is instantiated and deployed in context.
Mechanisms
blood-brain barrier openingdeep circuit modulationintracranial tissue ablationultrasound neuromodulationTarget processes
recombinationselectionInput: Chemical
Validation
Cell-freeBacteriaMammalianMouseHumanTherapeuticIndep. Replication
Observations
successHuman Clinicaltherapeutic usehuman
EEG
Inferred from claim c3 during normalization. Thalamic transcranial focused ultrasound was associated with progressive suppression of pathological frontal Delta and Theta power on EEG. Derived from claim c3. Quoted text: EEG analysis showed a marked, progressive suppression of pathological slow-wave (Delta and Theta) power in frontal regions.
Source:
successHuman Clinicaltherapeutic usehuman
Inferred from claim c1 during normalization. Right central thalamic transcranial focused ultrasound was associated with progressive behavioral recovery and emergence from the minimally conscious state in a patient with chronic disorder of consciousness. Derived from claim c1. Quoted text: A patient in a chronic minimally conscious state underwent a course of tFUS treatment targeting the right central thalamus... The patient demonstrated a progressive and clinically significant behavioral recovery, ultimately emerging from the minimally conscious state.
Source:
session duration20 minutessessions per week3 sessions/weektotal sessions12 sessionstreatment duration4 weeks
successHuman Clinicaltherapeutic usehuman
resting-state fNIRS
Inferred from claim c2 during normalization. Thalamic transcranial focused ultrasound was associated with enhanced cortical functional connectivity, especially within the prefrontal cortex and between prefrontal-sensorimotor networks. Derived from claim c2. Quoted text: fNIRS revealed a systematic enhancement of functional connectivity, especially within the prefrontal cortex and between prefrontal-sensorimotor networks.
Source:
successHuman Clinicaltherapeutic usehuman
Inferred from claim c4 during normalization. The thalamic transcranial focused ultrasound intervention was well-tolerated with no adverse events or structural brain changes observed in this case. Derived from claim c4. Quoted text: The intervention was well-tolerated with no adverse events or structural brain changes observed.
Source:
successHuman Clinicalmechanistic demohuman
resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging
Inferred from claim c1 during normalization. Transcranial focused ultrasound treatment decreased default mode network connectivity in individuals with major depressive disorder. Derived from claim c1.
Source:
participant count20 participantstreatment sessions11 sessions(<=)
successHuman Clinicaltherapeutic usehuman
Inferred from claim c2 during normalization. The study reports decreases in depression symptoms and repetitive negative thought after transcranial focused ultrasound treatment. Derived from claim c2.
Source:
mixedHuman Clinicaltherapeutic usehuman
Inferred from claim c3 during normalization. Exploratory analysis found no significant relationship between change in default mode network connectivity and change in depressive symptoms or repetitive negative thought. Derived from claim c3.
Source:
Supporting Sources
Source 2primary paper2026MED
Source 3primary paper2025MED
Source 4primary paper2026MED
Source 5primary paper2026MED
Source 6primary paper2026MED
Ranked Claims
Transcranial focused ultrasound is noninvasive, flexible, and spatially precise.
tFUS applications include intracranial ablation, blood-brain barrier opening for drug delivery, and neuromodulation.
Its applications include ablation for movement and psychiatric disorders, blood-brain barrier opening (BBBO) for drug delivery in neuro-oncology and neurodegeneration, and neuromodulation for circuit-based interventions in addiction, mood/anxiety disorders, and chronic pain.
Transcranial focused ultrasound opens opportunities for causal interrogation of brain function and for personalized diagnoses and treatments of mental and neurological disorders.
Transcranial focused ultrasound is a noninvasive neuromodulation and therapeutic technology that offers submillimeter precision for targeting deep brain structures.
Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is an emerging neuromodulation and therapeutic technology offering noninvasive, submillimeter precision for targeting deep brain structures.
targeting precision submillimeter
Transcranial focused ultrasound provides a tool for modulation and reset of deep neural circuits.
tFUS is presented as overcoming the depth-focality limitations of TMS and tES and avoiding the invasiveness and cost of DBS while enabling precise modulation with minimal risk.
Unlike transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electric stimulation (tES), which are limited by depth-focality tradeoffs, or deep brain stimulation (DBS), which is invasive and costly, tFUS enables precise modulation with minimal risk.
Advances in phased-array transducers, holographic focusing, and real-time imaging are described as refining tFUS accuracy and safety.
Advances in phased-array transducers, holographic focusing, and real-time imaging continue to refine its accuracy and safety.
The supplied payload does not provide enough direct review text to extract experiment-level validation outcomes, quantitative benchmarks, or an ordered engineering workflow.
Ongoing research is exploring closed-loop systems and wearable devices to expand clinical accessibility of tFUS.
Ongoing research explores closed-loop systems and wearable devices to expand clinical accessibility.
Thalamic transcranial focused ultrasound was associated with enhanced cortical functional connectivity, especially within the prefrontal cortex and between prefrontal-sensorimotor networks.
fNIRS revealed a systematic enhancement of functional connectivity, especially within the prefrontal cortex and between prefrontal-sensorimotor networks.
The review concerns focused ultrasound neuromodulation for psychiatric disorders and includes terminology spanning FUS, LIFU, and neuromodulation.
This scoping review synthesizes psychiatric focused ultrasound studies across multiple disorders including major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use disorder, and schizophrenia.
The thalamic transcranial focused ultrasound intervention was well-tolerated with no adverse events or structural brain changes observed in this case.
The intervention was well-tolerated with no adverse events or structural brain changes observed.
Transcranial focused ultrasound is presented as a precision modulation approach for schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Thalamic transcranial focused ultrasound was associated with progressive suppression of pathological frontal Delta and Theta power on EEG.
EEG analysis showed a marked, progressive suppression of pathological slow-wave (Delta and Theta) power in frontal regions.
Right central thalamic transcranial focused ultrasound was associated with progressive behavioral recovery and emergence from the minimally conscious state in a patient with chronic disorder of consciousness.
A patient in a chronic minimally conscious state underwent a course of tFUS treatment targeting the right central thalamus... The patient demonstrated a progressive and clinically significant behavioral recovery, ultimately emerging from the minimally conscious state.
session duration 20 minutessessions per week 3 sessions/weektotal sessions 12 sessionstreatment duration 4 weeks
The study reports decreases in depression symptoms and repetitive negative thought after transcranial focused ultrasound treatment.
Exploratory analysis found no significant relationship between change in default mode network connectivity and change in depressive symptoms or repetitive negative thought.
Transcranial focused ultrasound treatment decreased default mode network connectivity in individuals with major depressive disorder.
participant count 20 participantstreatment sessions 11 sessions
Approval Evidence
10 sources25 linked approval claimsfirst-pass slug transcranial-focused-ultrasound
High-signal enrichment leads include earlier domain reviews that frame psychiatric LIFU/tFUS and summarize human parameterization. Explicitly supported related component/tool names in discovered sources include transcranial focused ultrasound/transcranial ultrasound stimulation (tFUS/TUS).
Source:
Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is an emerging non-invasive neuromodulation technique capable of targeting deep brain structures implicated in consciousness, such as the thalamus.
Source:
Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is an emerging neuromodulation and therapeutic technology offering noninvasive, submillimeter precision for targeting deep brain structures.
Source:
The source title explicitly names transcranial focused ultrasound as the modality of interest for precision modulation in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Source:
Transcranial focused ultrasound provides the missing tool for modulation and reset of deep neural circuits.
Source:
Transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS) is an emerging neuromodulation modality that enables incisionless, spatially precise targeting of deep brain structures implicated in neuropsychiatric conditions.
Source:
This narrative review ... explores emerging approaches like Transcranial Focused Ultrasound (tFUS) within psychogeriatric populations.
Source:
Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is a novel neuromodulation technique that can directly target a hypothesized neural mechanism in depression, default mode network (DMN) hyperconnectivity.
Source:
Intrinsic functional neuron-type selectivity of transcranial focused ultrasound neuromodulation
Source:
Anchor paper confirmed: the 2015 Scientific Reports article reports image-guided transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS/FUS) stimulation of the human primary somatosensory cortex, using MRI/CT-guided targeting, EEG/SEP readouts, and a 250 kHz pulsed transducer.
Source:
advantagesupports
Transcranial focused ultrasound is noninvasive, flexible, and spatially precise.
Source:
application scopesupports
tFUS applications include intracranial ablation, blood-brain barrier opening for drug delivery, and neuromodulation.
Its applications include ablation for movement and psychiatric disorders, blood-brain barrier opening (BBBO) for drug delivery in neuro-oncology and neurodegeneration, and neuromodulation for circuit-based interventions in addiction, mood/anxiety disorders, and chronic pain.
Source:
application scopesupports
Transcranial focused ultrasound opens opportunities for causal interrogation of brain function and for personalized diagnoses and treatments of mental and neurological disorders.
Source:
capabilitysupports
Transcranial focused ultrasound is a noninvasive neuromodulation and therapeutic technology that offers submillimeter precision for targeting deep brain structures.
Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is an emerging neuromodulation and therapeutic technology offering noninvasive, submillimeter precision for targeting deep brain structures.
Source:
capabilitysupports
Transcranial focused ultrasound provides a tool for modulation and reset of deep neural circuits.
Source:
comparative advantagesupports
tFUS is presented as overcoming the depth-focality limitations of TMS and tES and avoiding the invasiveness and cost of DBS while enabling precise modulation with minimal risk.
Unlike transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electric stimulation (tES), which are limited by depth-focality tradeoffs, or deep brain stimulation (DBS), which is invasive and costly, tFUS enables precise modulation with minimal risk.
Source:
enabling componentsupports
Advances in phased-array transducers, holographic focusing, and real-time imaging are described as refining tFUS accuracy and safety.
Advances in phased-array transducers, holographic focusing, and real-time imaging continue to refine its accuracy and safety.
Source:
future directionsupports
Ongoing research is exploring closed-loop systems and wearable devices to expand clinical accessibility of tFUS.
Ongoing research explores closed-loop systems and wearable devices to expand clinical accessibility.
Source:
network modulationsupports
Thalamic transcranial focused ultrasound was associated with enhanced cortical functional connectivity, especially within the prefrontal cortex and between prefrontal-sensorimotor networks.
fNIRS revealed a systematic enhancement of functional connectivity, especially within the prefrontal cortex and between prefrontal-sensorimotor networks.
Source:
review scope summarysupports
The review concerns focused ultrasound neuromodulation for psychiatric disorders and includes terminology spanning FUS, LIFU, and neuromodulation.
Source:
review scope summarysupports
This scoping review synthesizes psychiatric focused ultrasound studies across multiple disorders including major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use disorder, and schizophrenia.
Source:
safety tolerabilitysupports
The thalamic transcranial focused ultrasound intervention was well-tolerated with no adverse events or structural brain changes observed in this case.
The intervention was well-tolerated with no adverse events or structural brain changes observed.
Source:
scope statementsupports
Transcranial focused ultrasound is presented as a precision modulation approach for schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Source:
spectral modulationsupports
Thalamic transcranial focused ultrasound was associated with progressive suppression of pathological frontal Delta and Theta power on EEG.
EEG analysis showed a marked, progressive suppression of pathological slow-wave (Delta and Theta) power in frontal regions.
Source:
therapeutic associationsupports
Right central thalamic transcranial focused ultrasound was associated with progressive behavioral recovery and emergence from the minimally conscious state in a patient with chronic disorder of consciousness.
A patient in a chronic minimally conscious state underwent a course of tFUS treatment targeting the right central thalamus... The patient demonstrated a progressive and clinically significant behavioral recovery, ultimately emerging from the minimally conscious state.
Source:
application scopesupports
Clinical applications of focused ultrasound in psychiatry include focal lesioning, neurostimulation, and targeted drug delivery.
Source:
capabilitysupports
Transcranial focused ultrasound enables incisionless, spatially precise targeting of deep brain structures implicated in neuropsychiatric conditions.
Source:
clinical outcomesupports
The study reports decreases in depression symptoms and repetitive negative thought after transcranial focused ultrasound treatment.
Source:
correlation resultsupports
Exploratory analysis found no significant relationship between change in default mode network connectivity and change in depressive symptoms or repetitive negative thought.
Source:
mechanism modulationsupports
Transcranial focused ultrasound treatment decreased default mode network connectivity in individuals with major depressive disorder.
Source:
Comparisons
No literature-backed comparison notes have been materialized for this record yet.
Ranked Citations
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