Leveraging transcranial ultrasound stimulation to enhance self-regulation in emotion and sleep

Sep 28, 2026

This Perspective examines transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) as a non-invasive neuromodulatory approach to enhance self-regulatory processes, especially emotion and sleep regulation, in healthy individuals. By using focused ultrasound to target cortical and deep brain regions, TUS may produce acute and delayed effects on brain activity. The article proposes integrating TUS with neurofeedback and/or targeted cognitive training to leverage neuroplasticity, aiming to strengthen resilience and support mental health and well-being in non-clinical populations while outlining future research directions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Non-invasive brain stimulation landscape

Rationale for TUS-based integrated interventions

TYPE Perspective PUBLISHED 19 December 2025 DOI 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1594106 OPEN ACCESS EDITED BY Joshua K. Wong, University of Florida, United States REVIEWED BY Joshua Jordan Hendrikse, Monash University, Australia Adriana Pliego, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Mexico *CORRESPONDENCE Suraya Dunsford [suraya.dunsford@plymouth.ac.uk](suraya.dunsford@plymouth.ac.uk) †These authors have contributed equally to this work RECEIVED 15 March 2025 REVISED 21 October 2025 ACCEPTED 26 November 2025 PUBLISHED 19 December 2025 CITATION Dunsford S, Komarnyckyj M and Fouragnan E (2025) Leveraging transcranial ultrasound stimulation to enhance self-regulation in emotion and sleep. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 19:1594106 . doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1594106 COPYRIGHT © 2025 Dunsford, Komarnyckyj and Fouragnan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Leveraging transcranial ultrasound stimulation to enhance self-regulation in emotion and sleep Suraya Dunsford1,2*, Mica Komarnyckyj3† and Elsa Fouragnan 1,2† 1School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom, 2Brain Research and Imaging Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom, 3Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Division of Psychology & Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom This Perspective article discusses the emerging potential of transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) as a non-invasive neuromodulatory technique for enhancing self-regulatory processes, particularly emotion and sleep regulation, in healthy individuals. Offering high spatial precision and the ability to target both cortical and deep brain regions, TUS uses focused ultrasound waves to induce acute and delayed effects on brain activity. We propose that combining TUS with neurofeedback methods and/or specific cognitive training exercises may capitalise on these neuroplastic effects, thereby augmenting and prolonging their impact to support lasting improvements in self-regulation. We focus on the domains of sleep and emotion regulation, where such an integrated approach may strengthen resilience and promote healthier functioning in the general population. Our aim is to highlight the potential of TUS-based integrated interventions for supporting mental health and well-being in non-clinical populations and to outline key directions for future research. KEYWORDS self-regulation, emotion, sleep, transcranial ultrasound stimulation, neurofeedback, non-invasive brain stimulation, neurotechnology 1 Introduction Neuroscience is increasingly expected to become one of the defining fields of the modern world, with research advancements unlocking transformative potential on an unprecedented scale (Conroy, 2023; Nature, 2024). A key driver of this development is the rapidly growing field of neurotechnology, which encompasses a wide range of tools and techniques designed to interface with, measure, model, and perturb brain activity (Murphy and Fouragnan, 2024) . Though some of these technologies are still in early or experimental stages, they hold significant promise for enhancing brain health, boosting cognitive function, and promoting overall mental well-being on a broad scale, provided that careful ethical considerations are addressed from the outset (Yuste, 2023) . Sleep and emotion regulation are fundamental processes that shape cognitive performance, resilience and overall well-being. When these processes function optimally within normative functional ranges t

FAQs

What is the main goal of the Perspective regarding TUS?

To highlight the emerging potential of transcranial ultrasound stimulation for enhancing self-regulation in emotion and sleep regulation, with an emphasis on non-clinical populations.

How does TUS work according to the article?

TUS delivers focused ultrasound waves to induce acute and delayed effects on brain activity, targeting both cortical and deep brain regions with high spatial precision.

Why combine TUS with neurofeedback or cognitive training?

The article proposes that pairing TUS with neurofeedback and/or specific cognitive training could capitalize on TUS-driven neuroplastic effects, augmenting and prolonging benefits for lasting improvements in self-regulation.

Sep 28, 2026

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