LONDON (Dispatches) -- A new research shows how transcranial ultrasound (TUS) can disrupt the process of brain giving credit to events.
The study on monkeys by scientists at the University of Plymouth has shed light on which parts of the brain support credit assignment processes and, for the first time, how low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) can modulate both brain activity and behaviours related to these credit assignment processes. It shows that credit assignment-related activity in the lateral prefrontal area of the brain, which supports adaptive behaviours, can be safely and quickly disrupted with TUS.
The animals in the study became more exploratory in their decisions after stimulating the brain area. As a result of the ultrasound neuromodulation, behaviour was no longer guided by choice value -- meaning that they could not understand that some choices would cause better outcomes -- and decision-making was less adaptive in the task.
Eventhough the study is developed in an animal model now , this line of research and the use of TUS could one day be applied to clinical research to tackle psychiatric conditions where maladaptive decisions are observed.