New treatment proves safe, effective for tremors

患有不自主的、有节奏的剧烈颤抖的患者，其典型的生活任务变得困难，通过聚焦超声治疗，他们的颤抖减轻了, reports a study published in JAMA Neurology. The study is co-authored by Dr. Vibhor Krishna他是北卡罗来纳大学医学院神经外科副教授.

“有治疗特发性震颤患者的药物, but often their effectiveness wanes over time, or the side effects are too profound,” Krishna said. “聚焦超声可以为一些病人提供另一种途径，让他们重获自己想要的生活方式. Sometimes, the positive effects are very profound.”

Frank George, a neuroscientist and professional guitarist, 几个月前接受了第二次超声治疗. 他的原发性震颤严重影响了他弹吉他的能力, give lectures, and eat with family and friends.

“他们会给你治疗两三次，每次大约20秒. 然后你被要求画一个圆圈和一条线，”乔治说. “Every time I came out of the machine, 我的线变得不那么乱了，最后变成了一条完美的线. I had never seen anything like it.”

手术结束后，乔治跑回家拿起他的吉他.

“It was like I was 25 again,” said George. “I could instantly, one day later, 从不会演奏一个音符到能够像几年前一样演奏. I had tears in my eyes. It was about as close to miraculous as you can get. I’m even back to playing professionally again.”

Sally Richey, a 70-year-old woman from Michigan, 她在太阳城娱乐接受了第二次（双边）治疗. 三年前，这位狂热的高尔夫球手接受了单侧聚焦超声治疗，以治疗她左手的原发性震颤. 手术后一只手的震颤消失了, symptoms in her right hand progressively worsened.

“这件事已经到了我再也拉不上夹克拉链的地步, do my own hair or putt,” said Richey. “有很多基本的小事我都不会做. I would often have to ask for help from others.”

她的震颤严重影响了她的日常生活和社交生活, 里奇决定对残余的震颤进行聚焦超声治疗. 她做完手术后有些轻微的头痛和身体不平衡, which improved over time, and has returned to playing golf.

“因为这个手术，我不必放弃. 能够继续做对我来说很重要的事情是一件很棒的事情，”里奇说.

Development of procedure

Since 2016, 神经外科医生已经能够执行一个高度技术性的, 无切口聚焦超声手术使脑部病变组织失活. 结果是立竿见影的，许多患者走出手术室时没有一丝颤抖. 但对于有明显震颤或大脑两侧都有震颤的病人, one treatment is not enough to control symptoms.

Researchers at seven U.S. 学术医疗机构进行了一项试验，在残余震颤患者未治疗的大脑一侧使用聚焦超声治疗. The procedure is “staged,这意味着手术一次只进行一侧, with several months in between each treatment.

这种疗法的第二个好处是，患者不再需要服用有严重副作用的药物. 未来的研究将探索这种疗法对帕金森病和其他运动障碍患者的可能用途.

Read more about the bilateral ultrasound study.