![]() In addition, the target can be adjusted if the patient reports any side effects. Patients are fully awake during the procedure, interacting with the medical team as they assess progress in reducing tremor throughout the process. Even though the procedure involves no incision or drilling, it does result in thermal damage to an area of the brain called thalamus. Once the frame is fitted, the patient is moved into an operating theatre with an MRI suite (magnetic resonance imaging) where they will move in and out of the MRI scanner so that real-time, accurate targeting of the correct region can be undertaken and based on the images, ultrasound waves are focussed on to the brain in a targeted way to induce thermal damage. This will attach to a focused ultrasound helmet that helps to hold the patient’s head still during the procedure. The advantage of this procedure is that FUS harnesses the power of ultrasound waves to reach deep brain regions without the need for cutting into the skull or the brain as is usual in brain surgery.ĭuring the procedure, a special head frame is fitted to the patient’s head with local anaesthetic. The multiple sound waves intersect at a point in the brain, guided by MRI scan images, where it generates heat and causes very targeted thermal damage to an area in the brain called the thalamus, the result of which is improvement in tremors. This technology uses multiple sound waves at a high frequency focused in on one spot deep within the brain. These same sound waves are applied in focused ultrasound (FUS) to deliver packets of energy to the brain to treat tremors. Most people are familiar with ultrasound scans being used to “see” structures inside the body including unborn babies inside the womb. What is MR Guided focused ultrasound treatment? ![]() In June 2018, NICE approved the use of a novel treatment called Transcranial MRI guided Focused Ultrasound (tcMRgFUS) for treatment for essential tremor and this is incisionless brain surgery where ultrasound waves are used. Medications are effective in controlling tremors in only around half of the patients and only a minority of patients are eligible for or prefer deep brain stimulation surgery for treatment. and often causes severe psychological distress to the sufferer and their family. Essential tremor is extremely disruptive to quality of life, affecting simple but important daily tasks such as handwriting, eating and drinking etc. Approximately 1 million people suffer with essential tremor in Britain. Service detail Transcranial magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy for treatment of essential tremor (tcMRgFUS/Focused Ultrasound).Įssential Tremor is a disorder of the brain which is characterised by uncontrolled shaking of the hands and occasionally, the head which is caused by disordered neural circuits in the brain.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |