Parkinson Platform Noord Nederland

MRI-guided focused ultrasound is a novel method for creating thermic ablations in the thalamus or basal ganglia without opening the skull. The method uses focused sonic energy and real-time MRI thermography of brain temperature to control lesion size and location precisely. This is a principle advantage over gamma-knife radiosurgery, which is another incision-free lesioning technique but induces radionecrosis that is difficult to control and develops within months of the procedure. In July, 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration approved MRI-guided focused ultrasound for unilateral thalamotomy for treatment of medically refractory and disabling essential tremor.