Following stroke, patients have a hard time performing coordinated movements. Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is emerging as a treatment to improve poststroke coordination, but the mechanisms for this motor improvement remain unclear. New in JNeurosci , Yi Yuan, from Yanshan University, and colleagues used a mouse model of ischemic stroke to shed light on how TUS interacts with the brain during behavior to improve coordination.
The researchers measured activity in the cortex, which supports movement, as mice walked around. Over the course of 1 week, the researchers used TUS in the stroke-damaged brain areas of the mice. TUS improved gait and restored communication between cortical brain networks. Improvements in brain networks were further linked to observed behavioral improvements. According to the authors, this work points to neural mechanisms that ultrasound may target to improve motor function, though work in more advanced animal models is needed.
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About JNeurosci
JNeurosci was launched in 1981 as a means to communicate the findings of the highest quality neuroscience research to the growing field. Today, the journal remains committed to publishing cutting-edge neuroscience that will have an immediate and lasting scientific impact, while responding to authors' changing publishing needs, representing breadth of the field and diversity in authorship.
About The Society for Neuroscience
The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 35,000 members in more than 95 countries.
JNeurosci
10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2329-25.2026
Low-Intensity Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation Improves Motor Behavior and Modulates Cortical Functional Network Connectivity in Mice with Ischemic Stroke
22-Jun-2026
The authors declare no competing financial interests.