A review of transcranial pulse stimulation: innovations in neuromodulation

INTRODUCTION: Non-invasive brain stimulations (NIBS), such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, transcranial alternating current stimulation, transcranial focused ultrasound, and transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS), employ electric currents or acoustic waves to induce and modulate neuroplasticity in humans. Thus, NIBS have the capacity to modify pathological plasticity while promoting plasticity in neuropsychiatric disorders, helping to ameliorate symptoms and enhance rehabilitation. AREAS COVERED: The efficacy of TPS in treating neuropsychiatric disorders is still unknown; hence, this article reviews the currently available clinical studies on the therapeutic effectiveness of TPS on symptom reduction in the clinical population to inform future neuropsychiatric treatments and research directions. EXPERT OPINION: The emerging NIBS treatment modality TPS demonstrates promising evidence in modulating symptoms in clinical population of neurocognitive disorders, common mental disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders. It has been well tolerated across age groups, from adolescents to older adults. Thus, it is essential to encourage future research to investigate the underlying neurophysiological and biochemical effects of TPS, as well as its sustainability, by incorporating high-quality randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes to strengthen the validation of its effects.