Neural circuitry and information transfer in the brain are poorly understood, necessitating new technologies for studying brain function and treating neurological disorders. Photoacoustic stimulation, using fiber-based optoacoustic emitters (FOE), allows precise neural stimulation. We investigated the role of the photothermal effect and found that pure photothermal neuromodulation requires significantly higher energy dosage compared to photoacoustic stimulation. Pharmacological inhibition revealed the importance of elastic modulus and ruled out a significant thermal effect from FOE. We also identified the involvement of Piezo1, TRPC1, and voltage-gated T-type calcium channels. These findings improve our understanding of photoacoustic neuromodulation and its potential clinical applications.
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