Why the study?
Focused ultrasound neuromodulation has emerged in the central nervous system, but research and application to the peripheral nervous system are comparatively limited.
Focused ultrasound is emerging as a promising, noninvasive, and safe modality for peripheral nerve neuromodulation, with potential advantages over implanted devices like vagus nerve stimulators.
FUS neuromodulation of PNS remains experimental; leaves open clinical translation pending controlled human trials.
Noninvasive focused ultrasound (FUS) has been applied in the treatment of various targets. Neuromodulation using FUS is emerging as a promising therapeutic modality for the central nerve system (CNS) with the advantages of deep penetration and precise targeting in the brain. This technique can also be applied to the peripheral nerve system (PNS). The principle of FUS and the mechanisms of neromodulation on PNS are summarized. Current experimental observations on the PNS targets are introduced to show their therapeutic effects. Discussion on the limitations and perspectives of this technology illustrates the pros and cons for future development. FUS provides a noninvasive, safe, and effective modality for neurotherapeutics. Although the relevant research on PNS is much less than that on CNS, the limited studies have already shown the satisfactory performance of FUS in comparison to the FDA-approved implanted device, especially the vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). Wide applications in clinics and fast development in technology are expected in the near future.
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Yufeng Zhou (2025) studied this question.
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