Seminar: JeYoung Jung – Exploring the Neural Basis of Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Stimulation for Enhancing Semantic Memory

Hybrid seminar from JeYoung Jung, Assistant Professor, School of Psychology/Precision Imaging/Centre for Dementia, University of Nottingham

The seminar will be in-person at Imperial College London, South Kensington campus, and online via Teams for those who cannot attend in person (registration link to follow).

Refreshments will be served after the seminar.

Title:
Exploring the Neural Basis of Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Stimulation for Enhancing Semantic Memory

Abstract: Dementia, characterized by the loss of neurotransmitters and subsequent memory decline, affects millions around the world. Focused ultrasound stimulation (FUS) emerges as a promising therapeutic tool due to its precise spatial resolution and the capability to target deep-brain structures crucial for treating dementia. FUS operates by using acoustic pressure waves to modify cell membrane dynamics, thereby regulating neuronal activity either by stimulating voltage-gated ion channels or neurotransmitter receptors. This modulation can enhance or inhibit neural activity, offering a broad spectrum of clinical applications.

My research explores the integration of FUS with neuroimaging techniques to develop personalized treatments aimed at enhancing semantic memory in individuals with dementia. Initially testing on healthy subjects, we employ theta burst FUS in conjunction with biochemical and functional magnetic resonance imaging to observe neurochemical and neural changes, and to assess memory performance before and after FUS. This talk will outline preliminary findings, emphasizing the use of multimodal imaging techniques, including fMRI and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), to measure changes in neurotransmitter levels after FUS and their implications for cognitive improvement. This comprehensive approach seeks to fill significant gaps in our understanding of how FUS affects human memory, potentially paving the way for groundbreaking therapies for dementia.

Bio

What I do in a nutshell 
Semantic cognition refers to our ability to use, manipulate and generalize knowledge and is a crucial function for our communication (verbal and nonverbal) and activities of daily living (e.g., object use). Therefore, impairments in semantic cognition can have a severe impact on quality of life (e.g., dementia and stroke). Although advances in neuroscience techniques have allowed important progress in understanding where and how brain systems code meaning at the cortical level, there is still a lack of any neurobiological explanation for semantic cognition.

GABA and glutamate, as major neurotransmitters in brain, play a major role in shaping cognitive functions whilst the complex interplay between them generates the neuroplasticity that enables the brain to adjust its performance. Therefore, one of the key issues in cognitive neuroscience is to link the underlying neurochemical mechanisms to our flexible cognitive behaviours, which has critical implications for clinical interventions in dementia and stroke (e.g., pharmacological treatments).

My current work focuses on the neural and neurochemical mechanisms of human semantic cognition and its neuroplasticity in healthy (young and old adults) and clinical populations (e.g., dementia and stroke). To provide convergent understanding of this, I combine brain stimulation techniques with advanced neuroimaging approaches. In particular, I am interested in improving human cognition using various neuromodulation techniques. I am also interested in the ways in which semantic cognition interacts with other domain-general higher cognitive functions.

Representative publications
Jung, J., & Lambon Ralph, M.A. (2023) Distinct but cooperating brain networks supporting semantic cognition. Cerebral Cortex, 33(5): 2021-2036 https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhac190

Jung, J., Williams, S., Nezhad, F. S., & Lambon Ralph, M.A. (2022) Neurochemical profiles of the anterior temporal lobe predict response of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on semantic processing. NeuroImage 119386 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119386

Jung, J., & Lambon Ralph, M. A. (2016). Mapping the Dynamic Network Interactions Underpinning Cognition: A cTBS-fMRI Study of the Flexible Adaptive Neural System for Semantics. Cerebral Cortex, 26(8), 3580-3590