Treatment of Tremor with Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS)
Updated July 14, 2025
How Movement Disorders Deprive Freedom and Independence
The lack of control over movements makes it impossible to work, shave, or brush teeth, dial a loved one’s number on the phone, or lovingly pour them tea, and surely there is a favorite activity that feels so sad to be without and makes you want to return to it.
It is important for a person to be free. To do what they must, take care of themselves and loved ones, and be independent in important matters.
Many movement disorders, such as tremor, stiffness, and involuntary movements, occur when a focus appears in the brain that disrupts the coordination of signals.
Now imagine… this person goes to a doctor, the doctor puts a special helmet on them and performs a brain scan. Finding the problematic area, the doctor non-invasively, without incisions and without the need for anesthesia, disables this area, and the tremor disappears before your eyes!
Science fiction that became reality
After the procedure, the patient stands up and returns home the same evening. The next day, they can already return to a new life with more freedom of movement and more opportunities to work, communicate, care, and engage in their favorite activities.
Not long ago, as children, we saw this in science fiction films.
A scene from the movie “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (Leonard Nimoy, 1986), where people from the future perform brain surgery without incisions to save one of the crew members. CToday, this is not science fiction—today’s medical technologies allow us to do exactly that!
What is this technology called?
What is MRI-guided focused ultrasound treatment?
MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment is a non-invasive procedure where ultrasound waves from a special helmet are directed and focused on a specific area of the brain, creating thermal effects about 1 mm in size with an accuracy of less than 1 mm under MRI imaging and MR thermometry control. This physical effect leads to the temporary or permanent deactivation of the area where the movement disorder occurs. The target point is first determined anatomically by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), then a test impact is applied, having a temporary effect lasting 2-3 minutes. During this time, a neurological examination is conducted, and if the effect matches the expected outcome, a therapeutic impact is performed to achieve a lasting result. The duration of the result depends on several factors, including the diagnosis, and can reach over a decade (the first treatment was conducted in June 2009).
In the case of MRgFUS, we are dealing with a non-invasive surgery. No surgical incisions are needed, we do not use gamma radiation like the cyberknife, we do not disrupt the integrity of the skull and brain tissues outside the operation area, and we do not implant anything in the patient, as is done in deep brain stimulation – DBS.
How does the treatment of tremor with focused ultrasound work?
In the Insightec helmet designed for neurosurgery, 1024 piezoceramic elements are used, each emitting ultrasound waves. Each ultrasound wave safely passes through the skull and brain, and only where they converge does the tissue heat to the necessary temperatures.
Ultrasound has various effects on tissues. In treating tremor, Parkinson’s disease, dystonias, and other movement disorders, we primarily use heating. Cells in the millimeter-sized target area of the brain are “turned off” with slight overheating without damage, and with more intense heating, they are turned off permanently.
This is how the focusing of ultrasound waves in MRgFUS looks schematically.
Animation demonstrating the principle of treating tremor with MRI-guided focused ultrasound
Ultrasound is absorbed, scattered, and reflected along its path. Each person’s skull is unique in bone thickness, density, and shape. Therefore, before the procedure, special planning and calculations are performed to determine how the ultrasound elements should work. It is also necessary to check if the skull will allow enough ultrasound to pass through. For this, we perform a CT scan of the skull bones using a special program for focused ultrasound treatment, upload it to our operating room, and calculate the parameters (see the bottom right corner of the image below)
Is MRI-guided focused ultrasound treatment an experimental technique?
No, although MRI-guided focused ultrasound treatment is still being researched, like other treatment methods, the technique has become widely accepted and included in clinical practice. It is approved by Roszdravnadzor, FDA, has CE-mark.
MRgFUS operating room. The future of medicine begins here.
What does the device for focused ultrasound treatment look like?
In the video, you can see our radiologist Dmitry Krekotin assembling the table and MRI-guided focused ultrasound helmet before treating a patient with Parkinson’s disease.
Neurosurgeon, Doctor of Science Rezida Galimova conducts a tour of the tremor treatment device using focused ultrasound
Let’s take a look at the most essential part of the focused ultrasound table. This is, of course, the helmet. If you look closely, here are the very 1024 ultrasound transmitters that direct ultrasound waves to the selected point in the brain. On top, there is the positioning system. We adjust the position of this helmet-transducer in three directions so that the ultrasound waves reach the brain with an accuracy of up to 0.1 millimeters.
Accuracy in Treating Tremor with Focused Ultrasound
The accuracy of treatment is ensured in two ways:
Anatomical Accuracy
First is anatomical accuracy, meaning how precisely we can aim and hit the target.
When selecting a point, the neurosurgeon constantly uses MRI and can change the aiming location in increments of 0.1 millimeters! This is microsurgical precision. Watch the video to see how Rezida Maratovna selects the target point.
Video: The surgeon selects the ultrasound impact point with a step of 0.1 mm. Notice how small this distance is by observing the movement of the target on the image.
Video: Rezida Maratovna and Yulia Allabirdina calibrate equipment on a brain mannequin before treating a patient with tremor using ultrasound
Equipment check and calibration
Each time before treating a patient, we check how accurately the device targets the intended area. For this, we calibrate the device on a special brain mannequin.
Functional accuracy
The second is functional precision, as the brain varies among different people, and the focus of the tremor is not always in the same place if measured, for example, with a ruler. Not every surgical method can boast the ability to “draft an operation.” In conventional surgery, the start of actions immediately means at least an incision, puncture, or introduction of some instrument, but in treating tremor with focused ultrasound, this is not the case. The point of impact is first determined anatomically by MRI, then a trial test ultrasound impact is applied, which has a temporary effect lasting 2-3 minutes.
In the video: The ability to target a different point is invaluable in unusual cases. For example, as shown in this video, the standard point for treating tremor with ultrasound did not respond, but thanks to the ability to safely move to another, we were able to successfully eliminate the tremor without complications.
The ability to target a different point is invaluable, especially in complex and unusual cases
A patient with essential tremor has been ill for 30 years. We started treatment in the morning but encountered a problem.
The standard point for treating tremor in the case of essential tremor did not respond in this patient.
However, our knowledge and capabilities of focused ultrasound allow us to move from one point to another within the brain without cutting the patient, and to select their individual personal point to achieve a good treatment outcome.
As a result, the tremor was successfully eliminated without complications.
At this time, a neurological examination is conducted and the result is evaluated. If the effect matches expectations, only then is therapeutic intervention performed to achieve a lasting result.
In the video, you can see that although the procedure is performed by neurosurgeons on deep areas of the brain, the patient is conscious, and the treatment does not require anesthesia. Our neurologist, Yulia Alexandrovna Sidorova, communicates with the patient and conducts tests.
Video: Neurologist Yulia Sidorova Communicates with a Patient During Ultrasound Tremor Treatment
Efficacy and Safety of Focused Ultrasound Treatment
The effectiveness of the method is achieved through high precision and the ability to conduct functional tests. However, the method is also comparatively safe, as it does not involve incisions (an incision always carries a risk of infection), implantation of devices (devices require replacement every 5-7 years and can break or become infected, and also limit the possibility of MRI). We openly publish data on the method’s effectiveness, safety, and the likelihood of symptom recurrence. You can read these data in detail in our book with an analysis of ultrasound treatment results and our research articles.
The method can be called the third stage of surgery, as it requires no incisions or openings and has high predictability, allowing for trial reversible effects to ensure the correctness of the action plan in advance. If the first stage of surgery is considered open surgery (incisions), the second stage endoscopy and endovascular surgery (punctures), then MRgFUS is the third stage (completely without incisions!)
Rapid Recovery After Ultrasound Treatment for Tremor
The absence of incisions and the possibility of trial interventions minimize the risks associated with surgical procedures, ensuring rapid patient recovery.
In 95% of cases, the patient returns home or to a hotel and does not stay in the hospital on the day of the procedure. However, the brain still reacts to ultrasound exposure, and there may be side effects during and after treatment, either temporary or permanent.
What are the complications and side effects of treating tremor with ultrasound?
It should be noted that any surgical intervention can cause complications and even death. The world is full of risks; for example, we take a risk even when crossing the road, and some people cross on a red light! Just as different decisions in life lead to different risks, so do crude, less technological types of assistance and delicate, minimally invasive high-tech ones have varying probabilities of complications. In the available literature, we, like other authors, have not found a single fatal complication from MRgFUS treatment, however, the probability of dying within 30 days after deep brain stimulation, according to Voges, reaches 0.4%.
Let’s divide these side effects into those occurring during treatment, persisting for some time after treatment, and permanent ones.
Short-term headache during sonication (10-15 seconds)
Some centers in their publications describe pain as the most common side effect. However, there is research where pain is almost absent during ultrasound tremor treatment. In a meta-analysis of several studies, headache occurs on average in 24.3%. In our experience, if pain occurs, it is short-term and can be reduced with medication. Several factors affect the intensity and tolerance of pain, such as skull bone density or psychological state. Do not fear being left alone with pain. We will provide you with a button that instantly stops the treatment, and you can always halt the process. We allow relatives to stay with the patient, administer pain relief, and prepare the patient psychologically. Nevertheless, despite all our efforts, in 1-2 cases out of 100, the procedure must be stopped due to pain. Most likely, due to different approaches in various centers, there are such significant differences in this side effect.
Dizziness
According to the analysis of 9 research studies, temporary dizziness is the most common occurrence during the treatment of tremor with ultrasound. The incidence of dizziness (only at the time of treatment) in this study was 43.4%
Nausea and vomiting
Nausea and vomiting are the next most frequent complications during tremor treatment, occurring in 26.8% according to research analysis, but we manage to eliminate the vast majority of these side effects by prescribing antiemetic drugs.
Warmth, blood rush, and paresthesia (tingling and strange sensations)
According to the literature, sensations of warmth or blood rush 19.8%, and paresthesia in 13.1%
Complications Related to the Helmet
Complications at the contact point between the helmet and the head have been described in the literature, such as burns at the location of the pins. However, in our experience with more than 250 patients, no burns were observed, most likely because the authors used MRI-incompatible helmet frame supports that heated up during the MRI. Cases of numbness in the occipital area and hematomas at the location of the frame supports have also been described.
Deep vein thrombosis of the lower leg
One patient in the literature is described with deep vein thrombosis, secondary to the duration of the procedure, but for thrombosis prevention, our patients always wear special elastic stockings.
Temporary side effects immediately after ultrasound treatment
Around the millimeter burn, tissue swelling occurs, and the patient requires special attention and therapy aimed at reducing this swelling in the area of ultrasound exposure for 2-3 months. During this time, there may be transient disturbances such as numbness or weakness in the limb, unsteady gait, speech disorders, confusion, or very rarely, psychosis. These symptoms disappear as the swelling resolves over several weeks.
William K. Miller in 2021 published results summarizing the global experience and demonstrating the sustained effectiveness of treating tremor with ultrasound, and Mohammed et al. reported paresthesia (25.1%) and ataxia (32.8%) as common adverse events during a 3-month observation. The rates of severe adverse events were the lowest when compared to MRgFUS c radiofrequency thalamotomy (RFA) or gamma knife (1.2% versus 9.3% for RFA and 1.8% for gamma knife)
Persistent side effects
To achieve the effect of eliminating tremor, we interrupt the “tremor signals” in the brain, which can cause persistent neurological disorders such as paresis, paralysis, balance and equilibrium disorders, and speech disorders. It is important to understand that any medical procedure carries risk; even an injection of a common and widely used medication can cause death from an allergy, and any surgical procedure is always associated with risk. However, the risk of different operations varies across different medical institutions, in different hands, with different patients, and in different situations.
According to literature data, paresthesia of the lips and fingers (referred to as sensations of tingling or pins and needles) remains among the most common side effects after 12 months. Ataxia (a lack of coordination of muscle movements without muscle weakness), which was the most common complaint after 3 months, completely resolved after a year in most patients (10.5% of patients remained after 12 months). One patient was reported to have facial paresis after 12 months. Thus, most side effects disappear 12 months after treatment of essential tremor with focused ultrasound.
Kim (2017) and colleagues evaluated the treatment of essential tremor with MRI-guided ultrasound. According to their data, the complication rate after a year was 4.4%. Meanwhile, treatment with radiofrequency ablation had more than twice as many complications (11.8%), and deep brain stimulation had complications more than four times as often (21.1%).
How We Manage Risks
We are aware of these risks and do everything to prevent them.
We have adopted many safety requirements not only from the best medical institutions in the world where we studied but also from aviation. We have developed our own approaches to protection against errors and complications, described in Rezida Maratovna’s doctoral dissertation and our book
We fanatically adhere to safety requirements, “do not cut corners,” and try to anticipate even the most unlikely events.
For example, in this photograph, you can see nurse Yulia Mukhina securing all equipment with straps to ensure that in an emergency, no one accidentally brings it into the MRI’s magnetic field.
Better quality of life after treatment with focused ultrasound
According to research treatment with focused ultrasound not only eliminates movement disorders but significantly improves the quality of life for patients suffering from essential tremor. In this study, a quality of life scale was used QUEST, which reflect the patient’s perspective on how treatment has improved their quality of life.
How long does the effect last when treating hand tremors with ultrasound?
Effectiveness and likelihood of recurrence vary in different situations, read about this in our publications and book.
For example, in the treatment of essential tremor, more than 95% of patients achieve a stable long-term result. In 2022, one of our mentors, Professor Chang, published results of five-year observations after treating essential tremor with focused ultrasound. According to his data, unilateral MRI-guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy showed significant improvement in tremor over 5 years with overall improvement in quality of life indicators and without any progressive or delayed complications.
In Parkinson’s disease, the cause of the ailment is the constant death of nerve cells (neurons) that produce dopamine. Focused ultrasound in Parkinson’s disease cannot revive them and cannot stop their death, so it is necessary to continue taking levodopa and other treatments. In the case of Parkinson’s disease, the result largely depends on the progression of neuron death. In Parkinson’s disease, this type of treatment is more aimed at improving quality of life, returning to body control, and reducing medication doses rather than curing Parkinson’s disease itself.
We quickly adopt the experience of leading clinics worldwide and use the most effective treatment points, and compared to literature data, our long-term results are among the best.
Is it possible to retreat tremor with focused ultrasound
A very important advantage of treating tremor with focused ultrasound is the possibility of a repeat procedure.
We have experience in re-treating patients in case of symptom recurrence not only after focused ultrasound treatment but also after other treatment methods such as radiofrequency ablation (thalamotomy and pallidotractotomy).
We value our results and take on increased commitments. In the event of symptom recurrence after the first MRgFUS operation, we consider the possibility of free re-treatment. We cannot promise this 100% because it is always necessary to assess the expected effect and the likelihood of complications from re-treatment, but we have publications on successful repeat operations, and we are interested in ensuring there are no recurrences.
Like any treatment method, MRI-guided focused ultrasound has its limitations.
MRI-related restrictions
MRgFUS treatment is conducted in an MRI, so any contraindications to MRI are also contraindications for ultrasound treatment. You can read our article about MRI contraindications at the link.
Until what age can tremor be treated with ultrasound?
Advanced age itself is not an absolute contraindication for treatment with focused ultrasound; on the contrary, the older the patient, the more dangerous open surgeries become, thus MRgFUS treatment gains greater significance. However, with age, other comorbidities or cognitive impairments may accumulate, which can become contraindications.
Is claustrophobia a contraindication for ultrasound treatment of tremor
Claustrophobia can interfere with treatment, but we have a number of methods to prepare a patient with claustrophobia for an MRI
Ultrasound Conductivity of Skull Bones
One of the main limitations of the MRgFUS method is the ultrasonic conductivity of the skull bones. When there is a significant difference in the density of the tissue on the bone surface and the tissue inside the bone, ultrasound is scattered, refracted, and reflected. Therefore, for some people, it is impossible to focus the ultrasound at the desired point. We calculate this in advance based on a CT scan of the skull bones. We have developed a method for preparing patients and can improve the properties of bone tissue within 6-12 months to successfully perform the procedure.
Other limitations of the method
Cost of Treatment
For some people, treatment may seem expensive. However, the cost of treatment is not arbitrary; it is justified, and in most countries, this treatment is much more expensive. Follow the link for a separate article: why the cost of tremor treatment with focused ultrasound is structured this way.
There are special offers, the procedure can be done through voluntary health insurance, and charitable events are held.
Nevertheless, it can be viewed as an investment.
- Treat your body like a vehicle for your brain: currently, car prices are much higher than the price of focused ultrasound, and your body is your transport in this world.
- If you don’t have tremor, will you earn 20 thousand more? If yes, then in less than 5 years your investment will pay off financially, and you will also enjoy a better quality of life
- Your dad or mom invested more in you, didn’t they? A good reason to reciprocate and be a grateful child is to give them years of a better quality of life.
Limited availability in some regions
We live in a new world where distances in kilometers are overcome by airplanes. The flight from Moscow to Ufa takes 1.5-2 hours. Remember, perhaps not long ago, you spent the same amount of time in traffic jams to get home from work.
Borders are erased due to the internet and messengers. Now patients travel for help all over the world, if interested, you can look at the map
Possibilities of Focused Ultrasound in Treating Nervous System Diseases
As of 2024, according to Fusfoundation (we are one of the experts of this organization), treatment with focused ultrasound is possible for a range of nervous system diseases.
Treatment with focused ultrasound under quota
Treatment with focused ultrasound is covered in several countries under a quota for the treatment of the following neurological disorders:
- Essential tremor
- Dyskinesia in Parkinson’s Disease
- Tremor in Parkinson’s Disease
- Neuropathic pain
- Depression
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Commercial Treatment with Focused Ultrasound in the World
- Dystonia
- Alzheimer’s Disease Read more
- Epilepsy
- Neuropathy
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Opioid drug addiction
Clinical trials are being conducted
- Astrocytoma
- Glioblastoma
- Brain metastases
- Glioma
- Neurofibromatosis
- Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
- Orthostatic tremor
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Dementia
- Impact on the Causes of Parkinson’s Disease
- Cerebral Palsy in Children
- Various Pains
- Anxiety
- Bipolar affective disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Mood Disorders
- Traumatic Brain Injury
The Future of Technology
Thermal impact
Thermal exposure, which we wrote about earlier, is only one of the methods of treatment with MRI-guided focused ultrasound. During thermal exposure, doctors create a microscopic burn in the area where an unwanted nerve signal appears or passes. Currently, new targets are being studied and sought. In the future, it is expected that we will be able to help patients with other diagnoses, and for those we have helped, we will find more effective points.
Opening of the blood-brain barrier
Not all diseases and conditions with the potential for treatment with focused ultrasound from the list above are treated with thermal effects. Alongside thermal effects, other mechanisms are used.
One of the major problems is the delivery of therapeutic agents to the brain. The brain is a very delicate and sensitive structure. To protect it, nature has devised a special barrier. This barrier is called the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier is a difficult-to-penetrate obstacle between the circulatory system and the brain. Not everything that enters the bloodstream can penetrate the brain. Because of this, we cannot deliver chemotherapy intravenously for tumors, or medications for Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.
This mechanism is used for delivery:
Doctors inject a special microbubble-based agent Definity along with a medication, gene therapy, or stem cells into the vein. Then, ultrasound induces a micro-explosion of these bubbles in the brain’s vessels. The blood-brain barrier opens for approximately 4 hours, allowing the medication to enter the brain. After a few hours, the barrier heals, closes, and continues to function normally. There are a number of promising studies to treat diseases such as:
- Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias
- Glioblastoma and Other Brain Tumors
- Autism
- Elimination of the Causes of Parkinson’s Disease
- Anxieties and Depressions
- Post-Stroke Conditions
- Huntington’s Disease
Neuromodulation
Ultrasound can be used to alter the activity of neurons in a targeted brain area. This can involve temporary suppression, stimulation, or long-term changes in neuronal activity.
Research is exploring applications for the following conditions:
- Dementias and Alzheimer’s Disease
- Post-traumatic disorder
- Strokes
- Psychiatric disorders, anxiety, depression
- Parkinson’s disease, tremor, dystonia, and other movement disorders
Histotripsy and Sonobiopsy
Imagine needing to take a biopsy from a deeply located tumor in the brain
The standard option is to reach it with an instrument, damaging all tissues along the way
An alternative option is to direct ultrasound at the tumor. The tumor will partially break down. Its contents will enter the bloodstream. A blood test may allow determining what type of tumor it is based on its chemical composition
Other mechanisms
Currently, other biological mechanisms of ultrasound impact are being studied
Hyperemia and Angiogenesis
Vasodilation and stimulation of new growth alter the blood supply to the target area, which could be used in the treatment of, for example, stroke.
Changing the mechanical properties of tissues.
Mechanotransduction is the main mechanism of transcranial pulse stimulation, which can promote the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and nerve regeneration, stimulate vascular growth factors, and improve cerebral blood flow. Cells convert mechanical stimuli into biochemical reactions, thereby triggering their division, movement, differentiation (learning), or death, which may play a role in restoring brain function in central nervous system diseases.
Sonodynamic therapy
Immunomodulation
Stimulation of the immune system in a local area can potentially help the body fight tumors.
Radiosensitization
Research is being conducted on the property of ultrasound to increase tumor sensitivity to radiation therapy.
Formation or destruction of clots and creation of openings (sonoporation)
Could help in the treatment of strokes, allowing for the rapid dissolution of a clot or stopping bleeding.
Academician of the RAS, Professor Sergey Nikolaevich Illarioshkin , Deputy Director for Research at the FSBSI “Research Center of Neurology,” Director of the Brain Institute of the Research Center of Neurology, an undisputed authority who has dedicated his life to the treatment of movement disorders, essential tremor, dystonia, and Parkinson’s disease, oversees the direction of MRI-guided focused ultrasound treatment since the opening of our center. In the video, his review of focused ultrasound treatment and the first book in Russia on MRgFUS treatment of neurological diseases, which we co-authored with him based on the experience of our V.S. Buzaev International Medical Centre.
Patient Reviews and Stories about Treatment with Focused Ultrasound
Review on TVC about treating essential tremor with ultrasound
Essential tremor treated with ultrasound. Video review on the TV channel TVC in the program “Doctor I…”
Is it possible to remove tremor in both hands with ultrasound?
The thalamus has left and right halves. Each half controls the opposite side of the body. We usually treat the side that controls the hand with more pronounced changes, and we also consider whether the person is right-handed or left-handed.
In the past, when performing thalamotomy with cruder methods, such as open surgery, radiofrequency ablation, or cryoablation, surgeons encountered speech side effects with bilateral treatment, especially when treating Parkinson’s disease. It was previously believed that simultaneous treatment of both sides increased the risk of side effects. However, these studies did not pertain to treatment with the more precise impact of focused ultrasound. Therefore, historically, eliminating tremor in the opposite hand was accepted to be conducted later, as the next stage.
Currently, in the world, bilateral staged treatment with focused ultrasound (in two operations) has become common. Several studies have reported an acceptable level of safety for staged bilateral treatment in essential tremor, and in 2021, pioneers of MRgFUS Mark Gallay and Daniel Jeanmonod published results a year after bilateral treatment of Parkinson’s disease with focused ultrasound.
We adhere to a staged approach, but in exceptional situations, we have experience with both staged and simultaneous bilateral treatment of tremor, depending on the specific case. Our results are published in our book and peer-reviewed research journals, if you’re interested, you can read more about it.
- Nabiullina D.I., Galimova R.M., Illarioshkin S.N., Buzaev I.V., Safin Sh.M., Akhmadeeva G.N., Mukhamadeeva N.R., Krekotin D.K. Experience of staged and simultaneous bilateral thalamotomy using MRI-guided focused ultrasound in the treatment of essential tremor. Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry named after S.S. Korsakov. 2023;123(7):65–73. https://doi.org/10.17116/jnevro202312307165
- Galimova, R. M., Nabiullina, D. I., Illarioshkin, S. N., Safin, Sh. M., Sidorova, Yu. A., Akhmadeeva, G. N., … & Buzaev, I. V. (2022). The first experience in Russia of treating patients with essential tremor using MRI-guided focused ultrasound. Annals of Clinical and Experimental Neurology , 16(2), 5-14.
- Galimova, R. M., Nabiullina, D. I., Illarioshkin, S. N., Safin, Sh. M., Sidorova, Yu. A., Akhmadeeva, G. N., … & Buzaev, I. V. (2022). General results of 2-year application of MRI-guided focused ultrasound in the treatment of movement disorders in the Russian Federation. Bulletin of the National Society for the Study of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders , (2), 38-42.
- Galimova R.M. , Illarioshkin S.N. , Nabiullina D.I. , Safin Sh.M. MRI-guided focused ultrasound in Neurology: Monograph (Series “Movement Disorders”). — M .: Intelligent neurosurgery clinic, Ltd “Publishing Enterprise “Atmosphere”, 2024. — 280 pages, illustrated. The book is officially available for open access at the link
Bilateral Ultrasound Treatment of Tremor. Review After 3 Years. Video with Written Consent from the Patient
The same patient after surgery on the second side. Now she can engage in her favorite activity – sewing!
Two years ago, Olga Borisovna approached us with a request to fulfill her cherished dream, which we will definitely share at the end of the video.
Since early adolescence, she experienced tremors in her right and left hands.
In 2022, we treated her right hand and 12 months later, her left hand.
And now you see the video from the latest treatment with focused ultrasound.
She works as a costume designer at Mosfilm. To assess the effect of tremor treatment on her ability to perform her favorite activity – sewing, we used a needle and thread.
Her husband was constantly by her side, supporting her at every stage.
At the end of the final treatment, we couldn’t hold back tears of joy and happiness. And a few months later, we received news that her dream had come true.
And that is the most wonderful feeling for us!
FDA (The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved bilateral staged treatment for Parkinson’s disease focused ultrasound. Now patients with severe Parkinson’s disease can undergo two procedures with a minimum interval of six months, helping to reduce symptoms such as stiffness and uncontrolled movements on both sides of the body. Solution FDA based on the successful results of clinical trials conducted in various countries. This is an important step for patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
Result of Dystonia Treatment with Ultrasound
One of the results. Treatment of dystonia with ultrasound allowed the driver to return to his favorite job
Result of Ultrasound Treatment for Post-Stroke Tremor (Holmes Tremor)
Result of treating post-stroke tremor with ultrasound (Holmes tremor). Video with the patient’s written consent.
In some patients, interesting pathological movements in the hands develop after a stroke, known as Holmes tremor, named after the English neurologist who first described these interesting observations.
Holmes tremor develops 3 to 6 months after a stroke and is poorly responsive to both neurosurgical and medicinal treatment.
In the video, you see a patient who had a stroke in 2020, and in 2022 we treated him with MRI-guided focused ultrasound.
We managed to stop the tremor, and we have been observing him for 2 years without seeing a return of the tremor, which makes us very, very happy.
The patient has fully returned to his life.
Video with the patient’s written consent.
The main indication for MRgFUS is tremor, however, a positive effect can also be achieved for other symptoms. The effectiveness of MRgFUS is determined at the time of the procedure. The outcomes of interventions demonstrate good results and allow for a reduction in the severity of tremor hyperkinesis.
Today, we treated a patient with pronounced tremor, stiffness, and slowness in the left arm and leg. Our first application of focused ultrasound had a very strong impact on his stiffness and slowness, and the neurologist noted an 80% reduction.
A slight postural tremor and resting tremor remained, so we continued working.
Our second ultrasound application completely eliminated the tremor in the left leg, but a slight tremor remained in the right hand.
We did not stop and continued working, and after the third application, we completely eliminated the resting tremor in the left arm and leg.
The final step was to ensure that neither resting tremor, stiffness, nor slowness remained in the left arm.
Such magicians changed everything completely in two hours.
Video: How Ultrasound Treatment for Rigidity and Slowness in Parkinson’s Disease is Conducted. Video with the Patient’s Written Consent.
Is it possible to eliminate tremor with ultrasound that returned after RFA surgery?
Video: How to Eliminate Tremor That Returned After RFA Surgery? Video with Written Consent from the Patient
In May 2022, the patient underwent radiofrequency ablation at another medical center for tremor of the left hand.
In the video, you can see the scar after the surgery.
Unfortunately, three months later, the tremor returned completely. By the end of 2023, the tremor in the right hand became significantly more pronounced, and the patient came to us from Syria.
Unlike other medical centers, we help not only with tremor but also with stiffness and slowness in Parkinson’s disease.
See how the right hand became light and fast. A follow-up consultation was conducted after 6 months, and the patient is doing well. We continue to monitor.
MRI-guided focused ultrasound helped the specialist IT return to artificial intelligence programming
Our patient with Parkinson’s disease is working IT -specialist. For many years, he dreamed of returning to work to collaborate with his colleagues in creating programs using artificial intelligence. However, the dyskinesias from medication intake embarrassed him greatly. He was very self-conscious. After the treatment with focused ultrasound, we managed to address the dyskinesias, tremor, stiffness, and slowness. On Monday, he plans to return to his colleagues.
Video: Elimination of Dyskinesias in Parkinson’s Disease. Video with the Patient’s Written Consent.
Treatment of Involuntary Laughter or Crying with Ultrasound in Hamartoma
Can tremor be treated with focused ultrasound at home?
Yesterday, one of the patients wrote us a question on VKontakte: “Is it possible to perform focused ultrasound treatment at home?”
To perform focused ultrasound treatment, you need an MRI machine that requires a huge amount of energy. The device’s power is approximately 160 kilowatts. A focused ultrasound table is also essential. We combine these two devices to perform the treatment, and of course, you need a neurosurgeon, neurologist, nurse, MRI-technician, and procedural nurse. Therefore, performing this treatment and installing such equipment at home would be very challenging.
Treatment of Tremor with Ultrasound in Moscow
Currently, there are two centers in Moscow offering MRI-guided focused ultrasound treatment: the Federal Scientific Clinical Center of the FMBA of Russia and the Research Center of Neurology.
There is a well-known saying, “an operation is performed not somewhere, but by someone.” The experience and personal qualities of the surgeon performing the operation are as important as the place. Mutual understanding and trust are essential. Surgery is an important decision in life. Be sure to consult with different surgeons before making a decision.
The first MRgFUS neurosurgeon in Russia
Rezida Galimova – Doctor of Medical Sciences, the first neurosurgeon in Russia to perform MRI-guided focused ultrasound treatment and the first female MRgFUS neurosurgeon in the world. Rezida Galimova operates on patients from various parts of the globe (view on map). Since childhood, she dreamed of treating patients without pain and incisions. Her drive to transform medicine led her to a new technology for treating Parkinson’s disease and tremor—MRI-guided focused ultrasound, which she and her team were the first to implement in Russia.
Rezida Maratovna personally communicates with the patient before their arrival for surgery and monitors her patients for at least a year after surgery. Many patients maintain contact beyond that, and feedback allows her to continuously improve her skills. She is a co-author of the first book on MRI-guided focused ultrasound, which analyzes the long-term results of her surgeries (the book is distributed for free). Rezida Galimova openly shows the results of her surgeries (with the patient’s written consent), and one of her inventions is the open operating room, where patients can be held by loved ones. Rezida Maratovna’s doctoral dissertation is dedicated to the treatment of tremor, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, and other conditions using focused ultrasound. You can read about the results of her MRgFUS operations in scientific journals.
Rezida Maratovna values her native Republic and decided to open a center in Ufa to support the medicine of her region and pay tribute to the teachers and people who helped her grow. Currently, Rezida Maratovna is nurturing a new generation of talented innovative leaders in medicine by establishing internships for young doctors at our medical center.
Treatment of Tremor with Focused Ultrasound in Ufa
V.S. Buzaev International Medical Centre® – the first medical center in Russia to implement non-invasive treatment of tremor, stiffness, various dystonias, neuropathic pain, and even the removal of benign hypothalamic tumors – hamartomas with MRI-guided focused ultrasound in clinical practice.
How to get treatment with focused ultrasound?
We do not impose ultrasound treatment and primarily consider conservative treatment methods. If you have been prescribed the correct therapy and it does not help, only then do we consider ultrasound treatment. Sometimes we refer for treatment correction or examine the patient and make adjustments ourselves.
The goal of treatment is not surgery. The goal of treatment is to approach health, and this is achieved in various ways. We view the entire patient as a system, not just the hands with tremor.
Surgery is not indicated in all cases and not at all stages of the disease; we regularly encounter situations where patients are happy without surgery after therapy correction.
What if we are far from each other?
If we are far from each other, we can discuss your questions online in advance:
- Schedule a preliminary consultation with us and ask all your questions
- We will examine you, adjust the therapy if necessary, and it’s possible that at this stage you will feel better, allowing the surgery to be postponed.
- Do you perform computed tomography at your place of residence according to a special protocol
- We calculate the conductivity of bone tissue with it.
- If the conductivity is sufficient, we send a list of preliminary tests that need to be done for safety to assess the condition of the entire body. If the conductivity is insufficient, we begin to prepare you in a special way, which will take some time.
- You arrive with your test results. On the first day, we examine you again, perform an MRI, combine your CT scan, and plan the surgery.
- On the second day, we perform the procedure and observe for some time afterward. You can bring a loved one for support directly into the operating room. Then we conduct a follow-up MRI and discharge you home or to a hotel. Occasionally, in less than 5% of cases, we keep the patient in the hospital for observation.
- On average, you return home on the third to fifth day.
- We monitor you for a year according to a special protocol, and if symptoms return, we consider repeating the procedure. If a repeat procedure is promising and safe, we perform it free of charge within 12 months after the first MRgFUS treatment.
- In the future, our patients can participate in the Parkinson’s Disease Patient Community “Semitsvetik”, where the Center’s doctors, as well as invited specialists in physical therapy and other types of motor rehabilitation, support patients. Access to this community is free after the surgery!
Any questions?
In 2024, we released the first book in Russia on the use of MRI-guideded focused ultrasound in neurology. The book is available for free on our website
Contact the V.S. Buzaev International Medical Centre, we are happy to help you make the right choice on your path to recovery!
+7 800 300-84-62
Free in Russia ( GMT+5)
+7 967 740-60-99 Neurosurgeon Rezida Maratovna Galimova — questions about the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, dystonia.
Conclusion
Focused ultrasound is one of the very effective tools in doctors’ arsenal to help you. Just a couple of decades ago, no one could even dream of such a treatment, and now it is available. Imagine what will happen in 10 years.
Do everything possible now so that you or your loved one can live well until even more miraculous methods of rejuvenation and health restoration appear.
In our article, we showed how comprehensive modern treatment, including various methods and approaches, helped people return to their favorite activities, freedom, independence, and love.
Do not consider this article as medical advice. It is a description of the possibilities, advantages, and limitations of the method. Each type of treatment has contraindications and, unfortunately, complications may occur. The effect of treatment with focused ultrasound depends on many factors. A specialist consultation is required to determine whether the method is suitable in a specific case, and what its expected benefits and risks are. You can schedule a consultation via WhatsApp
