A transcranial ultrasound-based wearable patch device appears to increase rapid eye movement (REM) sleep duration by 4.6 percent while reducing latency by 24 percent, as shown in a study.
Developed by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, US, the device is called NEUSleeP. It integrates electrophysiological sensing with transcranial focused ultrasound neuromodulation, enabling spatially selective modulation and concurrent electrophysiological monitoring of deep brain structures during natural sleep, according to lead researcher Dr Kevin Tang and colleagues.
“NEUSLeeP is a skin-attached bioadhesive patch that can be worn comfortably during overnight monitoring,” Tang and colleagues noted. “In contrast to benchtop systems that constrain posture and movement, [the patch] enables stimulation to be delivered in naturalistic sleep, synchronized with stage detection, and repeated across the night.”
Tang and colleagues tested the efficacy of the device in a 28-participant study, including 16 healthy sleepers (mean age 22.7 years, 50 percent male) and 12 individuals with insomnia (mean age 25.4 years, 50 percent male).
Participants underwent a sleep study consisting of two consecutive overnight sessions wearing the NEUSLeeP. On the first night, the patch did not deliver ultrasound neuromodulation (sham). On the second night, ultrasound stimulation targeted to the left subthalamic nucleus was delivered.
Compared with sham, NEUSLeeP stimulation increased REM sleep duration by 15.9 min and decreased REM sleep latency by 43 min in the overall population. NEUSLeeP neuromodulation had no impact on the number of wake arousals and overall sleep efficiency. [Nat Commun 2026;17:5570]
Tang and colleagues emphasized that the improvements in REM sleep occurred without significantly altering the sleep architecture in other sleep stages, and some of the participants responded positively with REM improvement.
NEUSLeeP stimulation was associated with increased heart rate variability and reduced response time on the emotional face matching task among healthy sleepers. No significant effect was observed among individuals with insomnia.
“Overall, these results indicate that NEUSLeeP [stimulation] may have the capacity to selectively down-modulate the ipsilateral basal-ganglia–midbrain–temporal circuit, promote REM sleep, and modulate aspects of subsequent stress responses in healthy individuals,” Tang and colleagues noted.
The researchers argued that the rising prevalence of sleep difficulties and the associated effects on cognition and brain dynamics create a clinical need for neuromodulation devices that can precisely target and restore sleep-related neural circuits.
“Much of current neuromodulation techniques emphasize the targeting of slow-wave enhancement associated with non-REM. Conversely, REM modulation has been primarily investigated through pharmacological approaches (ie, clonazepam/melatonin) and [invasive] deep brain stimulation,” according to Tang and colleagues.
“NEUSLeeP demonstrates that ultrasound neuromodulation during natural sleep is feasible and can enhance REM-related outcomes… [It also provides] a translational platform not only for sleep research but also for investigating how deep brain circuits shape complex human behaviours in naturalistic settings,” they said.