Focused ultrasound therapy: Back to the future
The surgical treatment of movement disorders, primarily for tremor, started with radiofrequency lesioning of the globus pallidus and thalamus in the 1950s [1]. While this became a state-of-the-art treatment over the following decades, bilateral lesions were associated with significant side effects such as gait, balance, and speech disturbances [2]. In the 70's, radiosurgery with the gamma knife showed promise because the procedure was incisionless. However, it used ionizing radiation, and the target could not be confirmed in real-time, because the effect was delayed by around six months.
Source: Parkinsonism and Related Disorders - Category: Neurology Authors: Leo Verhagen Metman, Mariana H.G. Monje, Jos é A. Obeso, Raúl Martínez-Fernández Tags: Review article Source Type: research
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