The nucleus accumbens is a tiny element of the human brain triggered when we experience something enjoyable, and used to help us learn behaviours that lead to rewards. A new study has shown for the first time that its influence on human behaviour can be altered using transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS).
Applying the technique for just over a minute at a time, researchers were able to influence how people learned the links between certain cues and rewards. The result was that they were more likely to repeat a choice that had previously paid off, their learning rates following positive outcomes increased and they were more likely to make positive choices more quickly.
Up to this point, such outcomes have only been achieved through surgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), which involves electrodes being directly attached to areas within a person’s brain.
However, those involved in the current study say their findings could signal that TUS has the potential to be used as an equally beneficial – and non-invasive – alternative to help those impacted by neurological or psychiatric disorders including addictions, depression and eating disorders.
The study is published in the journal Nature Communications and was led by researchers from the University of Plymouth. It also involved the University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Brown University, and the VA Providence Healthcare System.
Professor Elsa Fouragnan
