Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation (TUS) is a non-invasive neuromodulatory technique that uses focused ultrasound waves to target and influence specific areas of the brain. This method can temporarily enhance or inhibit neural activity, making it a promising tool for treating conditions like depression and chronic pain, as well as improving cognitive functions.
It is safe and painless, offering a reversible and adjustable approach to brain stimulation.
Developing cutting-edge TUS capability
At Plymouth, we have developed one of the most advanced and comprehensive ultrasound stimulation labs in the world, led by Dr Elsa Fouragnan – a leading authority on brain stimulation research in the UK and recognised internationally.
By combining neuroimaging, neurostimulation, computational modelling and engineering, Dr Fouragnan and her team are pioneering TUS research which has the potential to improve the lives of millions of people. Our research confirms that TUS surpasses established brain stimulation methods by affording transient manipulation of neural activity, deep in the brain with unprecedented precision.
Dr Fouragnan has extensively published in this area. Since 2020, their work has been cited more than 1,000 times.
International Transcranial Ultrasonic Stimulation Safety and Standards (ITRUSST)
Dr Fouragnan is an active member of ITRUSST, an international consortium safety group has established recommendations based on existing guidelines for diagnostic ultrasound from regulatory bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS) and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM).
Our research
Research team
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Dr Elsa Fouragnan
Associate Professor in Neuroscience and Head of the Brain Stimulation Lab
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Dr Suraya Dunsford
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
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Dr Sophie Clarke
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Exeter
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Bethan Barrett
Research Assistant
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Nomiki Koutsoumpari
Teaching and Research Associate (TARA), and PhD Student
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Niamh Cameron
PhD Candidate
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Samuel Mugglestone
PhD Candidate
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Rimsha Mahrukh
PhD Student, University of Plymouth
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Eleonora Carpino
PhD Student
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Timothy Palmer
PhD Student
The Volunteer Centre
Leading the first UK Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation research studies
Developing new treatments and therapies needs volunteers to take part in trials for new and cutting-edge research. We are currently recruiting for:
Together, we can help bring about an end to the suffering of thousands of people.
In the news
Targeted ultrasound can change brain functions for up to an hour after intervention
Neuroscientists working in our Brain Research and Imaging Centre led a new study published in Nature Communications
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Will depression treatment work for me? Research shows that brain activity may help predict success of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
The brain activity of patients with depression, captured by MRI scans, may help doctors predict who will respond to the therapy
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Low-intensity ultrasound can change decision-making process in the brain, research shows
Lecturer in Psychology Elsa Fouragnan's paper has been published in Nature Neuroscience
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Seeing through another’s eyes – research shows for the first time how we use others’ viewpoints to make decisions
The study is published in the journal 'Current Biology'
- More related news
'Over the microscope': an interview with Dr Elsa Fouragnan
Dr Elsa Fouragnan explores the potential for ultrasound to create a significant shift in mental health treatments.
“People are talking a lot more about mental health conditions these days, but what if there was a way to use non-invasive technology to help people affected by them? I have seen the effects of addiction at very close quarters. Trying to prevent other people from having to go through anything like that is something that drives me.”
Related courses
Brain Research & Imaging Centre (BRIC)
The Brain Stimulation Laboratory
BRIC’s vision is to translate human neuroscience into clinical applications with tangible societal impact through partnership with the NHS, particularly through Derriford Hospital, the largest in the South West.
With seven cutting-edge human research laboratories, The Brain Stimulation Laboratory enables research that targets the causes of neurological disorders. The BRIC facility provides a state-of-the-art Siemens Prisma 3T MRI scanner, and within the Brain Stimulation laboratory, an ultrasound neurostimulation technique that is safe, non-invasive and localised (at the millimetre scale).