MRI-guided focused ultrasound: new hope for drug-resistant neurological conditions

Bari, S. and Robertson, N. P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5409-4909 2023. MRI-guided focused ultrasound: new hope for drug-resistant neurological conditions. Journal of Neurology 270 (11) , pp. 5671-5673. 10.1007/s00415-023-12024-2

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Abstract

Since the therapeutic use of focused ultrasound was first described in 1932, the technology has developed significantly, particularly over the last decade. With the advent of new imaging modalities, such as fMRI and PET, it is now possible to pinpoint specific body areas and destroy pathologic lesions with Focused Ultrasound Ablation (FUSA). FUSA has potential for treating intracranial lesions employing several focused ultrasonic beams. While individual beams are harmless, when concentrated on a small area it can result in thermal and mechanical destruction. Some effects, such as tissue destruction and clot lysis are permanent, whilst others such as blood–brain barrier disruption and neuromodulation may be transitory or reversible. It is noninvasive and requires no anaesthetic, so may have particular advantages for elderly and/or frail patients. In 2016, the FDA approved focused ultrasound for essential tremor and then tremor-dominant PD in 2018. There are now 25 categoric approvals for the use of FUSA worldwide and a large number of trials are currently addressing additional indications. In this month’s journal club, we describe three recent studies, aiming to establish the efficacy and safety of focused ultrasound techniques in Essential Tremor, Refractory Epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Medicine
Additional Information:	License information from Publisher: LICENSE 1: URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, Type: open-access
Publisher:	Springer
ISSN:	0340-5354
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	16 October 2023
Date of Acceptance:	20 September 2023
Last Modified:	16 Oct 2023 15:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/163224

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