Domestic researchers prove that focused ultrasound promotes cerebrospinal fluid circulation
“Innovation in focused ultrasound measurement method… “Improving rat cerebrospinal fluid flow”
Research results have shown that focused ultrasound, which focuses ultrasound energy deep inside the brain for treatment, is effective in improving cerebrospinal fluid circulation disorders that cause degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
The joint research team of Professor Jae-ho Kim of the Department of Neurology at Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Dr. Hyeong-min Kim of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Bionics Research Center, and Professor Seon-gwang Kim of the Department of Oriental Medicine at Kyung Hee University found that stimulating the base of the skull with focused ultrasound can promote the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid in a mouse model. It was announced on the 16th that it had been confirmed.
The brain is an organ that is constantly active, so a large amount of metabolic waste accumulates. Cerebrospinal fluid removes these waste products as they circulate through surrounding blood vessels. If cerebrospinal fluid circulation is impaired and waste products are not removed, it can cause degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, small vessel disease, and normal pressure hydrocephalus.
The research team compared the mouse model by dividing it into a focused ultrasound group and a control group, and confirmed the flow of cerebrospinal fluid using fluorescent dye. Until now, due to technical limitations, it was not possible to observe the real-time flow of cerebrospinal fluid during focused ultrasound treatment. However, in this study, this problem was overcome by changing the irradiation location of the focused ultrasound to the base of the skull rather than the skull.
In addition, although there were previously difficulties in analyzing fluorescence images within the brain, the effect of focused ultrasound was able to be measured by combining in vivo fluorescence imaging using two-photon microscopy. Two-photon microscopy is a microscope that uses two photons with very low energy, and because it places little burden on biological samples, stable observation is possible for a long time.
The research team’s analysis showed that the inflow area of cerebrospinal fluid and the intensity of fluorescent dye significantly increased in the group that applied focused ultrasound, resulting in a greater amount of cerebrospinal fluid flowing in. In particular, in two-photon imaging, the fluorescent material indicating the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the pericerebrovascular space was clearly increased after focused ultrasound stimulation.
In a microparticle tracking experiment that confirmed the ability of cerebrospinal fluid to remove waste products from the brain, more microparticles were observed after focused ultrasound was applied. The average speed of particles was also found to increase after applying focused ultrasound.
In addition, as a result of examining brain tissue damage caused by focused ultrasound, no cell damage occurred in any area and no leakage of the blood-brain barrier occurred, confirming the stability of the treatment.
Professor Jaeho Kim said, “With this study, we have demonstrated for the first time through real-time imaging techniques that focused ultrasound stimulation through the skull promotes the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid. We confirmed the possibility of focused ultrasound as a non-invasive treatment that can improve cerebrospinal fluid circulation. “It is expected to be a groundbreaking breakthrough in the treatment of degenerative brain diseases.”
He continued, “Recently, the area of clinical use of focused ultrasound has been expanding, and the hospital is conducting clinical research on improving the gait of patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus through focused ultrasound technology.”
This research was conducted with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea’s Excellent New Research Project, Oriental Medicine Digital Convergence Technology Development Project, and KIST’s Institutional Project. The research results were published in the September issue of ‘Brain Stimulation’, a SCIE-level international academic journal.
[서울=뉴시스]
-
- great
- 0dog
-
- I’m sad
- 0dog
-
- I’m angry
- 0dog
-
- I recommend it
- dog