The effects of high-intensity 40 kHz ultrasound on cognitive function

Andrew Di Battista; Adam Price; Rob Malkin; Bruce W Drinkwater; Paula M Kuberka; Christopher Jarrold

doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2022.109051

The effects of high-intensity 40 kHz ultrasound on cognitive function

Andrew Di Battista^*, Adam Price, Rob Malkin, Bruce W Drinkwater, Paula M Kuberka, Christopher Jarrold^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

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Abstract

In this study we investigate the effects of short-term exposure to high-intensity airborne ultrasound on cognitive function. Test participants () were asked to perform a go/no-go task (GNG) and continuous performance test (CPT) under baseline (no noise) conditions. The tests were also presented under exposure to high-intensity ultrasonic noise from a custom built ultrasonic array (40 kHz tone, 120 dB SPL re 20 μPa). GNG and CPT test results were analysed using a Bayesian ANOVA statistical model. The results provided clear positive evidence for no effect of ultrasound exposure on performance in each task, whether measured in terms of participants’ ability to select the correct response or their reaction times when responding correctly. Participants were also not better than chance at stating when the ultrasound had been presented. These findings indicate that ultrasound exposure of this intensity and frequency has no detectable effect on cognitive task performance.

Original language	English
Article number	109051
Number of pages	11
Journal	Applied Acoustics
Volume	200
Early online date	5 Oct 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2022.109051
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank Rafael Morales González for assistance in the design/construction of the ultrasonic array. Funding: this work was sponsored by Ultraleap Ltd in collaboration with the Univeristy of Bristol.

Funding Information:
The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Andrew Di Battista reports financial support was provided by Ultraleap Limited. Adam Price reports financial support was provided by Ultraleap Limited. Rob Malkin reports financial support was provided by Ultraleap Limited. Christopher Jarrold reports financial support was provided by Ultraleap Limited. The research was sponsored by Ultraleap Ltd and carried out in collaboration with the University of Bristol. AD, AP and RB are employees of Ultraleap. CJ, BD and PK are researchers at University of Bristol.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s)

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title = "The effects of high-intensity 40 kHz ultrasound on cognitive function",

abstract = "In this study we investigate the effects of short-term exposure to high-intensity airborne ultrasound on cognitive function. Test participants () were asked to perform a go/no-go task (GNG) and continuous performance test (CPT) under baseline (no noise) conditions. The tests were also presented under exposure to high-intensity ultrasonic noise from a custom built ultrasonic array (40 kHz tone, 120 dB SPL re 20 μPa). GNG and CPT test results were analysed using a Bayesian ANOVA statistical model. The results provided clear positive evidence for no effect of ultrasound exposure on performance in each task, whether measured in terms of participants{\textquoteright} ability to select the correct response or their reaction times when responding correctly. Participants were also not better than chance at stating when the ultrasound had been presented. These findings indicate that ultrasound exposure of this intensity and frequency has no detectable effect on cognitive task performance.",

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AU - Jarrold, Christopher

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Rafael Morales González for assistance in the design/construction of the ultrasonic array. Funding: this work was sponsored by Ultraleap Ltd in collaboration with the Univeristy of Bristol. Funding Information: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Andrew Di Battista reports financial support was provided by Ultraleap Limited. Adam Price reports financial support was provided by Ultraleap Limited. Rob Malkin reports financial support was provided by Ultraleap Limited. Christopher Jarrold reports financial support was provided by Ultraleap Limited. The research was sponsored by Ultraleap Ltd and carried out in collaboration with the University of Bristol. AD, AP and RB are employees of Ultraleap. CJ, BD and PK are researchers at University of Bristol. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s)

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