2023-Perspective: Focused-Ultrasound Guided Neuropeptide Delivery

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Abstract

Although drugs are a critical component of mental healthcare, most have modest benefits and significant side effects. One way to develop a superior intervention would be to administer drugs with the spatial and temporal precision that better replicates natural diversity within neurotransmitter systems. A technology called focused-ultrasound (FU) may be able to safely and transiently disrupt the blood-brain barrier with spatial precision, permitting the site-specific delivery of molecules that do not conventionally cross the blood-brain barrier. If this method is proven to be safe and effective in larger human trials, it may trigger a paradigm shift in biopsychology research where the level of precision with which neurotransmitter systems can be influenced is massively increased. In this article, we use the example of oxytocin in the treatment of Autism. We propose that intranasal administration is not highly effective because it leads to oxytocin’s wide dispersion throughout the brain, failing to specifically stimulate oxytocin’s prosocial effects in specific regions. Consequently, we hypothesize that site-specific delivery of oxytocin, particularly in brain regions such as the Nucleus Accumbens and Ventral Tegmental Area, would lead to more consistent benefits.

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Author Biography

Manju Karthikeyan is an undergraduate student at Emory University studying Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology and Human Health. Her research involves investigating research in the context of clinical applications, whether that be with drug delivery in relation to focused ultrasounds or improving post-acute care outcomes at Emory School of Medicine. After college, Manju hopes to pursue an MD/PhD-- continuing to bridge the gap between findings in the scientific community and treatment for patients.
Ahaana Shrivastava is a second-year undergraduate neuroscience student at Emory University with a passion for clinical neuroscience, biopsychology, and psycholinguistics. While she previously conducted biopsychology research at Emory, she has now shifted her focus to psycholinguistics research through her work in the Dr. Lynne Nygaard’s Speech and Language Perception Lab. Her current work aims to develop an understanding of the linguistic and non-linguistic cues in human communication.
Andrew Neff is a visiting professor at Emory University where he studies biopsychology, mental health, and education. His textbook, Foundations of Biological Psychology, is forthcoming with Cambridge University Press, and its companion podcast called Neighborhood Neuroscience is out now.

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The authors would like those who appreciate this article to make donations to Autism Speaks.

Citation

Manjushri Karthikeyan, Ahaana Shrivastava, Andrew Neff (2023). Perspective: Focused-Ultrasound Guided Neuropeptide Delivery as a Novel Therapeutic Approach in Psychiatry. Seeds of Science. https://doi.org/10.53975/ykha-lrmn
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