The first doctoral dissertation in Russia on the treatment of tremor with ultrasound has been defended

Congratulations to Rezida Galimova on her defense!

4 June 2024, at the meeting of the dissertation council at the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Research Center of Neurology,” Rezida Maratovna Galimova, a neurosurgeon and co-founder of the V.S. Buzaev International Medical Centre®, defended her dissertation for the degree “Doctor of Medical Sciences “.

Research work “MRI-guided focused ultrasound in the treatment of central nervous system diseases: patient management algorithms, short-term and long-term results, new technological solutions ” reflects the results of non-invasive transcranial treatment of patients with various central nervous system disorders (Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, dystonia, neuropathic pain, and hypothalamic hamartoma)

In the dissertation, the MRgFUS method is considered an integral part of the system for providing highly specialized medical care. The role of qualified neurological support for the patient at all stages of treatment is shown as an important factor determining the treatment outcome.

The MRgFUS method has shown extremely high effectiveness in treating patients with essential tremor (a positive result was achieved in 98% of the study group) and safety (within 3 weeks, none of the patients experienced any neurological complications)

The long-term treatment outcomes were analyzed (the longest period being 627 days), and the strategy for repeated interventions was developed to maximize tremor control and maintain a high quality of life for patients.

A new method for bilateral treatment of patients with essential tremor using MRgFUS was substantiated and demonstrated for the first time in global practice ( VIM-thalamotomy) in a single operation.

The MRgFUS method in unilateral intervention has also shown high effectiveness in treating tremor forms of Parkinson’s disease. Even considering the degenerative nature of the disease and the high tendency for tremor recurrence, repeat procedures at other locations were successfully performed, significantly reducing disease manifestations and improving patients’ quality of life.

The MRgFUS technique was developed and improved thanks to the work carried out.

For the first time in Russia, successful non-invasive treatment was conducted for hypothalamic hamartoma and neuropathic pain, and a method for treating various forms of dystonia with focused ultrasound was developed.

The work also described the safe technology developed at the V.S. Buzaev International Medical Centre for launching a telemedicine remote treatment program using MRgFUS under online supervision. Foreign centers are already using our clinic’s example to launch MRgFUS technology.

Rezida Maratovna proposed new technological solutions to reduce the risk of ultrasound exposure: improved the WHO-recommended surgical checklist; developed protocols for patient selection and preparation, a safety protocol in the operating room; substantiated the concept of an “open operating room”; substantiated the minimally necessary protocol for neurological examination between sonications; developed a non-magnetic MRI-compatible device for assessing head tremor, fixed in a stereotactic helmet, allowing effective intraoperative monitoring of hyperkinesis.

New linear and neural network models have been proposed to predict temperature during MRI-guided focused ultrasound treatment at target points, and practical recommendations for physicians have been developed.

The dissertation work of Rezida Maratovna covered a large scope of collaborative work by the team at the V.S. Buzaev International Medical Centre, completed during the first three years of the clinic’s establishment, and is a source of pride for every member of the Centre.

Thanks to this work, global and domestic healthcare have expanded their arsenal with new approaches to treating central nervous system diseases, and people with severe central nervous system conditions worldwide have gained a new opportunity to improve their condition and quality of life with a new non-invasive, highly precise, safe, and highly effective method.

Read more about the technology of non-invasive treatment with focused ultrasound

Download dissertation text for free about the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, tremor, dystonia, hypothalamic hamartoma with MRI-guided focused ultrasound

Download dissertation abstract for free about the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, tremor, dystonia, and hypothalamic hamartoma with MRI-guided focused ultrasound