Wearable ultrasound patch boosts REM sleep without drugs or surgery

"This is the first time we've been able to noninvasively target deep brain regions involved in REM sleep, while simultaneously monitoring brain activity," said Kai Wing "Kevin" Tang, a recent UT biomedical engineering Ph.D. graduate who led the research effort. "Our skin-attached NEUSLeeP patch opens up new possibilities for understanding sleep and treating sleep disorders in home settings," added Huiliang "Evan" Wang, assistant professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering's Department of Biomedical Engineering, who supervised Tang's work and served as the principal investigator (PI) directing the overall project.

Wearable Patch Helps People Reach REM Faster

The researchers tested the technology in a study involving 28 people, with the results published in Nature Communications. On average, participants entered REM sleep 43 minutes sooner and remained in that stage for about 16 minutes longer.

The benefits were observed in both healthy sleepers and participants experiencing some sleep difficulties. Users also described the patch as comfortable and safe, and the study reported minimal adverse effects.

Possible Benefits for Stress and Emotional Health

Among healthy participants, NEUSLeeP stimulation also increased heart rate variability, which is commonly used as an indicator of the body's ability to respond to stress. Brain imaging revealed changes in circuits associated with emotion, raising the possibility that the technology could support mood regulation and psychological resilience.

"REM sleep is not just about dreaming -- it's about emotional reset and stress adaptation," explained Gregory Fonzo, assistant professor in the Dell Medical School's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and one of the project's co-PIs. "By enhancing REM, we may help people better cope with stress and improve their overall well-being."

REM sleep disruptions have been associated with depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Current approaches to sleep problems, including medication and behavioral therapy, may cause side effects or may not directly address the underlying factors that interfere with REM sleep.

Future Trials for Insomnia, Depression and PTSD

The team plans to conduct larger studies to verify the initial results and evaluate whether NEUSLeeP could help people with PTSD, depression and chronic insomnia. The researchers also see potential uses in home sleep monitoring, neuroscience research and personalized sleep treatments.

"Our vision is a future where patients with mental health disorders can optimize their sleep with a noninvasive and safe treatment," said Vincent Mysliwiec, M.D., a professor at UT Health San Antonio, a leading expert in sleep disorders, and another co-PI on the project. "This technology could help millions of people get the restorative sleep they need."

Researchers Move Toward Commercialization

The team is collaborating with Discovery to Impact, UT's commercialization unit, in an effort to move the technology toward the market. A patent application has also been filed for the device.

Other team members are William D. Moscoso-Barrera, Mengxia Yu, Mengmeng Yao, Jinmo Jeong, Ilya Pyatnitskiy, Anakaren Romero Lozano, Jiachen Wang, Ju-Chun Hsieh, Tony Sungjin Chae, Daniel Song, Julieta Garcia, Rithvik Mittapalli and Adam Bush of the Department of Biomedical Engineering; Benjamin Baird of the College of Natural Sciences' Department of Psychology; and Wynn Legon of Virginia Tech's Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.