Development of an MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) Lesioning Approach for the Fornix in the Rat Brain

High-intensity magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a non-invasive therapy to lesion brain tissue, used clinically in patients and pre-clinically in several animal models. Challenges with focused ablation in rodent brains can include skull and near-field heating and accurately targeting small and deep brain structures. We overcame these challenges by creating a novel method consisting of a craniectomy skull preparation, a high-frequency transducer (3 MHz) with a small ultrasound focal spot, a transducer positioning system with an added manual adjustment of ∼0.1 mm targeting accuracy, and MR acoustic radiation force imaging for confirmation of focal spot placement.

Source: Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology - March 24, 2024 Category: Radiology Authors: Carena Cornelssen, Allison Payne, Dennis L. Parker, Matthew Alexander, Robb Merrill, Sharayu Senthilkumar, Jacob Christensen, Karen S. Wilcox, Henrik Od éen, John D. Rolston Tags: Original Contribution Source Type: research