Wearable ultrasound patch boosts REM sleep without drugs or surgery

Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed a wearable patch called NEUSLeeP that enhances REM sleep without the use of medication or surgery. This innovative device employs gentle ultrasound stimulation along with electrodes that monitor brain activity, allowing it to affect deep brain regions responsible for sleep.

Lead researcher Kai Wing "Kevin" Tang, a recent UT biomedical engineering Ph.D. graduate, highlighted that this is the first instance of noninvasively targeting deep brain regions involved in REM sleep while simultaneously monitoring brain activity. The patch, which was tested on 28 individuals, led to participants entering REM sleep 43 minutes sooner and staying in that stage for 16 minutes longer on average.

This improvement was seen in both healthy sleepers and those with sleep difficulties. Additionally, NEUSLeeP users reported experiencing increased heart rate variability, an indicator of the body's stress response, and observed changes in brain circuits associated with emotion. This suggests potential for the technology to support mood regulation and psychological resilience.

REM sleep, which is crucial for emotional reset and stress adaptation, has been linked to mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The researchers aim to conduct larger studies to verify their initial findings and explore the possibility of NEUSLeeP aiding individuals with PTSD, depression, and chronic insomnia.

Furthermore, they envision applications in home sleep monitoring, neuroscience research, and personalized sleep treatments. The team is working with UT's commercialization unit, Discovery to Impact, to move the technology toward market availability and has filed a patent application for the device.