A recent study conducted by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in the US showed that focused ultrasound therapy guided by magnetic resonance imaging can alleviate some motor symptoms in Parkinson’s patients, including tremors, muscle stiffness, and bradykinesia, without the need to open the skull for traditional surgery.
The scientific website Medical Xpress reported on Tuesday that the study, published in The Lancet Neurology, included 54 patients. A group of them underwent treatment on both sides of the brain in two stages, separated by at least six months, with the aim of reducing motor symptoms affecting both sides of the body.
The results showed that 86 percent of patients reported at least partial improvement three months after treatment on the second side of the brain, while 62 percent expressed satisfaction with the procedure. The technique relies on directing precise beams of ultrasound to a specific area in the brain involved in regulating movement, with the goal of disrupting abnormal neural activity associated with the symptoms.
The study clarified that treating both sides of the brain can provide benefit to some patients who continue to experience bothersome motor symptoms on both sides of the body. However, researchers emphasized the importance of carefully selecting patients and evaluating their response to the first treatment before deciding to treat the other side.
Researchers noted that this technique represents an additional therapeutic option for some Parkinson’s patients who do not achieve adequate symptom control with medications, stressing the need to evaluate potential benefits and risks for each case in collaboration with the specialized medical team.
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurological disorder associated with the decline of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical transmitter that helps regulate movement, and its decline leads to symptoms including tremors, muscle stiffness, bradykinesia, and balance disorders.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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