Towards a Targeted Ultrasound Neuromodulation Intervention for Alcohol Abuse Disorders

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a prevalent and highly debilitating condition characterized by compulsive alcohol consumption, loss of control over drinking behavior, and significant impairment in social functioning and quality of life. Estimates suggest that the economic burden of AUD is substantial, with alcohol-related harm costing the UK over £21 billion per year (Public Health England, 2016). There is a pressing need for novel interventions that surpass current treatment approaches in both effectiveness and comprehensiveness, addressing the neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying AUD. Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is an emerging non-invasive brain stimulation technique with the potential to modulate neural activity with high spatial precision. The neural basis of AUD involves dysfunction across several brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex (impaired executive control: Koob \& Volkow, 2016), the striatum (habit formation and reinforcement: Everitt \& Robbins, 2016), the amygdala (heightened stress reactivity: Koob, 2021), and the thalamus (altered sensory and reward processing: Müller-Oehring et al., 2015). TUS can precisely modulate neuronal activity in both cortical and subcortical regions, making it a promising tool for targeting the disrupted neurocircuitry of AUD. This study aims to explore the safety and efficacy of TUS in modulating key brain regions involved in compulsive alcohol use and cognitive control, with the goal of reducing AUD-related symptoms and improving treatment outcomes.