Ectopic expression of a mechanosensitive channel confers spatiotemporal resolution to ultrasound stimulations of neurons for visual restoration

Remote and precisely controlled activation of the brain is a fundamental challenge in the development of brain-machine interfaces for neurological treatments. Low-frequency ultrasound stimulation can be used to modulate neuronal activity deep in the brain, especially after expressing ultrasound-sensitive proteins. But so far, no study has described an ultrasound-mediated activation strategy whose spatiotemporal resolution and acoustic intensity are compatible with the mandatory needs of brain-machine interfaces, particularly for visual restoration. Here we combined the expression of large-conductance mechanosensitive ion channels with uncustomary high-frequency ultrasonic stimulation to activate retinal or cortical neurons over millisecond durations at a spatiotemporal resolution and acoustic energy deposit compatible with vision restoration. The in vivo sonogenetic activation of the visual cortex generated a behaviour associated with light perception. Our findings demonstrate that sonogenetics can deliver millisecond pattern presentations via an approach less invasive than current brain-machine interfaces for visual restoration.

Sara Cadoni, Charlie Demené, Ignacio Alcala, Matthieu Provansal, Diep Nguyen, Dasha Nelidova, Guillaume Labernède, Jules Lubetzki, Ruben Goulet, Emma Burban, Julie Dégardin, Manuel Simonutti, Gregory Gauvain, Fabrice Arcizet, Olivier Marre, Deniz Dalkara, Botond Roska, José Alain Sahel, Mickael Tanter, Serge Picaud