{"id":5632,"date":"2025-08-11T04:16:48","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T04:16:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scientificworld.org\/?p=5632"},"modified":"2025-08-11T04:16:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T04:16:51","slug":"researchers-identify-optimal-brain-target-for-ultrasound-treatment-of-essential-tremor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scientificworld.org\/?p=5632","title":{"rendered":"Researchers Identify Optimal Brain Target for Ultrasound Treatment of Essential Tremor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Scientists at Mass General Brigham have pinpointed the ideal location in the brain to target during MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment for essential tremor, a neurological disorder affecting millions worldwide. Published in&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.adp0532\"><em>Science Advances<\/em><\/a>, their findings could enhance the safety and effectiveness of this noninvasive procedure, offering long-lasting relief to patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study analyzed data from 351 patients treated with MRgFUS across three international hospitals, the largest cohort to date. Researchers identified a specific subregion of the thalamus, the brain\u2019s relay center, that, when targeted, maximizes tremor improvement while minimizing side effects. By creating a model of this &#8220;sweet spot,&#8221; the team demonstrated its predictive power for patient outcomes, with better results observed when the target was accurately lesioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>MRgFUS thalamotomy, pioneered at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital 30 years ago, involves creating a small, permanent lesion in the thalamus to disrupt tremor-causing brain activity. The new study not only refines the procedure\u2019s precision but also provides a roadmap for other medical centers to replicate its success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;This one-time, noninvasive treatment can have immediate, long-lasting, and life-changing effects for patients,&#8221;<\/em>&nbsp;said Dr. G. Rees Cosgrove, co-senior author and director of functional neurosurgery at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital. Lead author Dr. Melissa Chua added,&nbsp;<em>&#8220;It\u2019s exciting to move toward making this treatment even more precise and personalized.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The research marks a significant step forward in improving MRgFUS for essential tremor, a condition that disrupts daily activities like eating and writing. Future studies will further refine the technique, aiming to optimize long-term outcomes for patients globally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scientists at Mass General Brigham have pinpointed the ideal location in the brain to target during MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment for essential tremor, a neurological disorder affecting millions worldwide. Published in&nbsp;Science Advances, their findings could enhance the safety and effectiveness of this noninvasive procedure, offering long-lasting relief to patients. The study analyzed data from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1093],"tags":[1566,2151,1433,1091,3332,1365],"class_list":["post-5632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-neuroscience","tag-health-medicine","tag-mri","tag-neuroscience","tag-public-health","tag-tremor","tag-ultrasound"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scientificworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scientificworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scientificworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scientificworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scientificworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5632"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scientificworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5632\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5633,"href":"https:\/\/scientificworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5632\/revisions\/5633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scientificworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scientificworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scientificworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}