Effects of Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation on Blood Oxygen Metabolism and Brain Rhythms in Nitroglycerin-induced Migraine Mice

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanism of transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) on nitroglycerin-induced migraine in mice.

Materials and methods: The experiment was divided into four groups, namely, the normal saline control group (n = 9), ultrasound stimulation control group (n = 6), nitroglycerin-induced migraine group (n = 9), and ultrasound stimulation group (n = 9). The behavior, blood oxygen metabolism, and brain rhythm distribution of the four groups were analyzed.

Results: We found that after TUS, the movement time and speed of mice with migraine are modulated to those of the control groups, and the number of head scratching and grooming events is significantly reduced. TUS increased the deoxygenated hemoglobin, and the power of the 4-to-40 Hz frequency band of local field potentials in the cortex of migraine mice. TUS also decreased the expression of plasma calcitonin gene-related peptide and cortical c-Fos protein.

Conclusions: Ultrasound stimulation can regulate brain rhythm and blood oxygen metabolism and reduce migraine symptoms in mice. The regulatory mechanism may be related to reducing calcitonin gene-related peptide in blood vessels.