Objective: Parkinson’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disease that mainly affects the substantia nigra and nigrostriatal pathway and leads to rigidity, loss of muscle tone, tremors, bradykinesia, akinesia, and difficulty with balance and control. One of the newer treatments to treat Parkinson’s disease is Focused Ultrasound therapy which uses high-intensity sound waves to destroy tissue and reduce symptoms. This project aims to discuss some of the findings from Focused Ultrasound therapy and explore its efficacy in treating various symptoms of Parkinon’s Disease.

Background: Focused Ultrasound Therapy was approved recently in 2018 for the treatment of unilateral tremors in Parkinson’s Disease patients. It was expanded in 2021 to include treatment for stiffness, slowness, and dyskinesia (uncontrolled movements). The increasing popularity of Focused Ultrasound therapy is in its non-invasive applications. By using high-intensity sound waves emitted from outside of the body, targeted tissue can be destroyed leading to the reduction of symptoms of tremor, rigidity, and dyskinesia. Current trials are ongoing for the use of Focused ultrasound for other symptomatic treatment of Parkinson’s Disease symptoms as well as in chronic care of patients. As there are a limited number of surgical or interventional treatment options for Parkinson’s Disease, Focused Ultrasound therapy seems to be an emerging technique.

Method: In this review, we use several studies focusing on the effects of Focused Ultrasound Therapy on Parkinson’s Disease symptom management. We specifically looked at how Focused Ultrasound was used and the overall reduction of symptoms after treatment. We included relevant studies that showed how Focused Ultrasound could help in the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease.

Results: Focused Ultrasound Therapy was found to be a valuable treatment option for patients with Parkinson’s Disease. It provides a reduction of symptoms for tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia through pallidotomy, thalamotomy, and subthalamotomy respectively. By using Focused Ultrasound patients were able to enjoy a reduction of symptoms without invasive procedures being used.

Conclusion: Focused Ultrasound therapy is an emerging treatment option to help patients with Parkinson’s Disease. Future studies should look at the efficacy of Focused Ultrasound in other symptomatic treatments of Parkinson’s Disease.

« Back to 2024 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/focused-ultrasound-therapy-treatment-for-parkinsons-disease/