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

Abstract

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.