穿顱低強度超音波能量衰減特性分析與穿戴式刺激裝置之開發與驗證

Abstract

隨著全球高齡化社會的到來，罹患神經退化性疾病的人口正逐年增加。這類疾病的主要成因，多與腦內變性蛋白或代謝廢物的異常堆積有關，例如阿茲海默症的 Tau 蛋白與類澱粉蛋白 (Aβ)，或是帕金森氏症的 α-突觸核蛋白 (α-syn)。目前這些疾病的治療大多需仰賴大型醫院的專用設備，對患者、家屬及醫療系統都造成了沉重的負擔。然而，現今已有許多研究證實，透過藥物、侵入性或非侵入性治療，以及自主運動等方式，能有效促進腦部的「膠淋巴系統 (Glymphatic system)」循環，進而加速清除這些有害蛋白與代謝廢物。 本團隊與合作單位在先前的研究中，已證實了非侵入式「低強度超音波刺激」與膠淋巴循環之間的關聯性。實驗結果顯示，當大腦處於受損或衰退狀態時，給予低強度超音波刺激，能顯著提升腦脊髓液 (CSF)擴散至腦區的速率，並大幅改善膠淋巴循環的相關指標。 為了將過去的基礎學理進一步落實於實際臨床治療，本研究設計並開發了一款「頭戴式超音波裝置」。我們建立了一套仿真頭骨模型，藉此進行超音波能量衰減與安全性測試。實驗結果證實，這款專為刺激膠淋巴循環所開發的穿戴式設備，在能量傳遞效率與安全性上皆達到預期的標準。未來本團隊也將持續推進，展開進一步的人體功效試驗。

As the global population ages, the number of individuals suffering from neurodegenerative diseases is increasing annually. These diseases are highly associated with the abnormal accumulation of misfolded proteins—such as Tau and amyloid-beta (Aβ) in Alzheimer's disease, or alpha-synuclein (α-syn) in Parkinson's disease—and other metabolic waste. Currently, treating these conditions predominantly relies on specialized hospital equipment, imposing a heavy burden on the healthcare system. However, recent studies indicate that interventions like pharmacological therapy, non-invasive treatments, and exercise can effectively promote the brain's "glymphatic system" to accelerate the clearance of these harmful substances. In previous studies, our team demonstrated the correlation between non-invasive "low-intensity ultrasound stimulation" and enhanced glymphatic circulation. Specifically, it significantly increases the diffusion rate of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and improves glymphatic indicators in damaged or degenerated brains. To translate these fundamental findings into practical clinical applications, this study designed and developed a head-mounted ultrasound device. By establishing a skull phantom to conduct acoustic attenuation and safety testing , experimental results confirmed that this wearable device meets the expected standards for both energy transmission efficiency and safety. In the future, our team will advance this research by initiating human efficacy trials.