Research Article

Low-Intensity Ultrasound Causes Direct Excitation of Auditory Cortical Neurons

Figure 1

The ultrasound stimulation system and the patch clamp recording of cultured cells. (a) A schematic illustration of our combined recording and ultrasound system. The response to ultrasound stimulation of a single HEK293 cell was measured. (b) A schematic illustration of the pulsed waves of ultrasound stimulation, with an acoustic pressure of 0.3 MPa, 1 kHz repetition frequency, and 50% duty cycle. (c) US stimulation did not elicit changes in the membrane current of a representative HEK293 cell. (d) The mean current amplitude before and during US stimulation. Data are presented as the . NS: no statistic difference, , , paired -test.