Transcranial focused ultrasound for the treatment of tremor: A preliminary case series.

BACKGROUND

Essential tremor (ET) can be debilitating. Treatments for ET include beta-blockers and surgical interventions. Low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) may offer an office-based non-invasive alternative.

OBJECTIVE

This pilot open label clinical trial explores safety, feasibility, and potential efficacy of LIFU in treatment of ET.

METHODS

We report outcomes from the first 10 participants in this IRB-approved trial of LIFU for treatment of ET. The ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (Vim) was targeted using structural and functional MRI. Participants underwent eight 10-min sessions of LIFU targeting the contralateral (Vim) to the most affected hand. Safety was closely monitored; Global Rating of Change (GRC) and The Essential Tremor Rating Scale (TETRAS) scores were collected.

RESULTS

No adverse effects were reported. Eight participants reported a GRC ≥2. TETRAS performance subscale demonstrated clinically significant improvement in all participants.

CONCLUSION

Preliminary findings support LIFU's safety and feasibility. The potential efficacy encourages additional sham-controlled studies.