Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS)
Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS) is an innovative, non-invasive treatment method in the field of focused ultrasound. It uses ultrashort, low-energy ultrasound pulses to enhance the activity of nerve cells and initiate regenerative processes in the brain without causing cellular damage.
The development of this method was initiated by Professor Roland Beisteiner and implemented within an international collaboration (Beisteiner et al. 2019). It is non-invasive and therefore painless, enabling targeted stimulation of deep brain regions for the first time without the need for surgical intervention.
Focused ultrasound techniques are currently undergoing continuous scientific and experimental development. At present, TPS is the only focused ultrasound-based method with clinical approval (Alzheimer’s disease). In principle, clinical studies are ongoing or have been conducted for various disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson’s disease, depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, autism, stroke rehabilitation, chronic pain, essential tremor, and Long COVID.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an advanced imaging technique that enables the non-invasive visualization of brain activity without the administration of contrast agents. Prof. Beisteiner and his group have pioneered the development of clinical diagnostic fMRI, particularly in the field of high-field imaging. Disease-specific alterations in brain function, as well as therapeutic improvements, for example following brain stimulation procedures, can therefore be detected effectively.
fMRI is based on specialized MRI sequences that visualize changes in cerebral blood flow and oxygenation, which are associated with local alterations in brain activity. Currently, fMRI is one of the most important methods in non-invasive brain function diagnostics and plays a key role in investigating and further developing the efficacy of focused ultrasound therapies such as TPS.
Teaching
- Journal Club: Neuromodulation and functional imaging of the brain – Medizinische Universität Wien
- Methods and Techniques in Neuroscience (UE) - Medizinische Universität
- BVo: Lecture accompanied to Methods and Techniques in Neuroscience – Universität Wien
- VU Advanced Neuroscience – Universität Wien
Events
April 2026: International Symposium on Focused Ultrasound