Noninvasive modulation of essential tremor with focused ultrasonic waves

Noninvasive modulation of essential tremor with focused ultrasonic waves

27 February 2024 | Thomas S Riis, Adam J Losser, Panagiotis Kassavetis, Paolo Moretti, Jan Kubanek
This study demonstrates that low-intensity focused ultrasound can noninvasively modulate deep brain regions in humans, significantly reducing essential tremor amplitude. Three patients with essential tremor were subjected to low-intensity ultrasound targeting the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) of the thalamus. The ultrasound, delivered at 10% duty cycle for 15 seconds per trial, resulted in nearly complete elimination of tremor in two out of three patients, with tremor amplitude reductions exceeding 95%. The effects were observed within seconds of stimulation onset and lasted for several minutes after the stimulation ended, indicating safety with no harmful long-term consequences. The study shows that low-intensity focused ultrasound can robustly modulate deep brain circuits and influence overt motor behavior in humans. The ultrasound was delivered through the skull using a phased array system, with adjustments made for skull attenuation and dephasing. The study also highlights the potential of this approach for noninvasive manipulation of localized brain regions and for causal mapping of neural circuits involved in mental and neurological disorders. The results suggest that this technique could be used for precision diagnoses and treatments of neural circuits involved in such disorders. The study also notes that the effects lasted for several minutes after the stimulation, indicating that the effects were not due to auditory perception of the ultrasound stimulus or other indirect effects. The study was conducted with a focus on safety, and no adverse effects were reported. The findings suggest that low-intensity focused ultrasound has the potential to be a safe and effective noninvasive tool for modulating deep brain circuits in humans.This study demonstrates that low-intensity focused ultrasound can noninvasively modulate deep brain regions in humans, significantly reducing essential tremor amplitude. Three patients with essential tremor were subjected to low-intensity ultrasound targeting the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) of the thalamus. The ultrasound, delivered at 10% duty cycle for 15 seconds per trial, resulted in nearly complete elimination of tremor in two out of three patients, with tremor amplitude reductions exceeding 95%. The effects were observed within seconds of stimulation onset and lasted for several minutes after the stimulation ended, indicating safety with no harmful long-term consequences. The study shows that low-intensity focused ultrasound can robustly modulate deep brain circuits and influence overt motor behavior in humans. The ultrasound was delivered through the skull using a phased array system, with adjustments made for skull attenuation and dephasing. The study also highlights the potential of this approach for noninvasive manipulation of localized brain regions and for causal mapping of neural circuits involved in mental and neurological disorders. The results suggest that this technique could be used for precision diagnoses and treatments of neural circuits involved in such disorders. The study also notes that the effects lasted for several minutes after the stimulation, indicating that the effects were not due to auditory perception of the ultrasound stimulus or other indirect effects. The study was conducted with a focus on safety, and no adverse effects were reported. The findings suggest that low-intensity focused ultrasound has the potential to be a safe and effective noninvasive tool for modulating deep brain circuits in humans.
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