Kubanek, J. et al. Sci. Adv. 6, eaaz4193 (2020)

The ability to modulate the activity of specific brain circuits in awake, behaving animals is essential to elucidate the contributions of different brain regions to behavior in health and disease. Ultrasound, which shows neuromodulatory potential in rodents, is emerging as noninvasive neuromodulation approach that could revolutionize brain function studies.

By showing that brief pulses of low-intensity ultrasound delivered to specific brain regions had strong effects on the behavior of macaque monkeys engaged in a choice task, a study confirms that ultrasound can modulate neuronal activity in the brain of large mammals. This approach might provide new ways to study brain function in humans and to treat brain disorders.