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RCBB Seminar: Dr Elsa Fouragnan (Plymouth University) – Ultrasound neuromodulation: Inducing short to medium neuroplastic effects with sound waves.

January 25, 2023 @ 13:00 14:00

In this RCBB Research Seminar Series talk, Dr Elsa Fouragnan (Plymouth University) will present her current research under the title “Ultrasound neuromodulation: Inducing short to medium neuroplastic effects with sound waves”.

Abstract: Ultrasound can make visible what is hidden, for example, an unborn child. We are now putting these high-frequency sound waves – beyond the range of human hearing – to use for a wholly different purpose: to manipulate the activity of the brain. Conventional brain stimulation techniques use electric currents or magnetic fields to alter brain activity. But these techniques have limitations. They can only reach the surface of the brain and are not very precise. By contrast, beams of ultrasound can be safely focused on a millimeter scale, even deep within the brain. Ultrasound thus has the potential to provide new insights into how the brain works. Most studies of ultrasound stimulation have looked at what happens to the brain during the stimulation itself. But could ultrasound also induce longer-lasting changes in brain activity? This would be valuable for research but would also make it more likely that we could use ultrasound to treat brain disorders by changing brain activity. In a series of Proof-of-Concept studies, I will show that ultrasound can induce longer-lasting changes in brain activity, opening the door to a large range of therapeutic interventions.

Link to Dr. Fouragnan’s web page.

If you have any queries, please contact Valentina Cazzato or Michael Richter.

Details

Date:
January 25, 2023
Time:
13:00 – 14:00
Event Categories:
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Tom Reilly Building, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street
Liverpool, Merseyside L3 3AF United Kingdom
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