Focused ultrasound therapy for neurological disease

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided focused ultrasound (MRg-FUS) represents a transformative advancement in functional neurosurgery, providing a minimally invasive and highly precise treatment modality for neurological disorders, including essential tremor, Parkinson's disease, and dystonia. In Japan, clinical studies investigating its use for essential tremor began in May 2013. This technique employs 1024 ultrasound elements to focus acoustic energy at a fixed intracranial point, generating sufficient heat to induce tissue coagulation while preserving adjacent structures. Real-time MRI provides continuous temperature and positional feedback, ensuring accurate targeting and mitigating the challenges associated with skull density and anatomical variability. Despite these advancements, challenges persist, particularly among Japanese patients, where reduced skull permeability can impede consistent treatment outcomes. Additionally, the requirement for scalp shaving poses considerable esthetic concerns. These factors emphasize the need for continued collaboration between clinical medicine and medical engineering to enhance skull permeability and address cosmetic considerations. MRg-FUS eliminates the need for radiation exposure, incisions, or craniotomy, offering immediate therapeutic benefits with a lower risk profile. Recent technological advancements, including software-driven skull compensation and real-time feedback mechanisms, have improved its safety and efficacy. While limitations, such as skull density variability and incomplete thermal control, remain, ongoing innovations hold promise for expanding its applications, including blood-brain barrier modulation and the treatment of complex neurological disorders. MRg-FUS signifies a paradigm shift toward less invasive, image-guided therapies in contemporary neurosurgery.