PLYMOUTH / LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – Researchers at the University of Plymouth have developed a groundbreaking method to influence the human reward system using transcranial ultrasound stimulation. This non-invasive technique could provide a safer alternative to surgery and has the potential to be used in the treatment of mental disorders such as addiction and depression.
Today’s daily deals at Amazon! ˗ˋˏ$ˎˊ˗
The University of Plymouth, in collaboration with other renowned institutions, has conducted a study showing that transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) can influence the human reward system. This technique targets the nucleus accumbens, a center deep in the brain that is responsible for motivation and learning. The researchers were able to show that after a short period of ultrasound stimulation, participants learned more quickly from positive feedback and repeated rewarding decisions more often.
Until now, such effects were only possible through invasive surgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), in which electrodes are placed directly in the brain. The new method offers a non-invasive alternative that does not require implants or surgical procedures. This opens up new possibilities for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including addiction, depression and eating disorders.
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows that TUS has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of mental illness. Professor Elsa Fouragnan, who led the research, emphasizes the importance of this discovery. She explains that the nucleus accumbens has been at the center of theories about motivation and reinforcement learning for decades. The ability to non-invasively modulate this area of the brain could lead to personalized therapy.
The study recruited 26 healthy participants who visited the BRIC research center four times. After the ultrasound intervention, they were placed in a scanner to complete a series of tasks while their behavioral and brain activity was monitored. The results showed that TUS had a similar effect on learning behavior as DBS, but without the need for surgical intervention. These findings could pave the way for future applications in clinical practice.
Order an Amazon credit card without an annual fee with a credit limit of 2,000 euros!
Bestseller No. 1 ᵃ⤻ᶻ “KI Gadgets”
Bestseller No. 2 ᵃ⤻ᶻ “KI Gadgets”
Bestseller No. 3 ᵃ⤻ᶻ “KI Gadgets”
Bestseller No. 4 ᵃ⤻ᶻ «KI Gadgets»
Bestseller No. 5 ᵃ⤻ᶻ “KI Gadgets”
Please send any additions and information to the editorial team by email to de-info[at]it-boltwise.de. Since we cannot rule out AI hallucinations, which rarely occur with AI-generated news and content, we ask you to contact us via email and inform us in the event of false statements or misinformation. Please don’t forget to include the article headline in the email: “Ultrasound as a non-invasive method to improve learning”.