Transcranial Focused Ultrasound for Identifying the Neural Substrate of Conscious Perception.
Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews November 19, 2025 Daniel K Freeman, Brian Odegaard, Seung-Schik Yoo et al.
Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) can stimulate the human brain non-invasively with millimeter-scale precision, targeting both cortical and deep structures. This new tool offers a potential breakthrough for studying the neural correlates of conscious perception, overcoming the coarse spatial resolution and limited depth of traditional electrical or magnetic stimulation. Because tFUS requires extensive preparation and regulatory approvals, careful experimental planning is essential. The authors provide a roadmap for using tFUS in humans to explore the neural substrate of conscious perception.