Focused Ultrasound Trial Finds Promise for Parkinson’s Patients

[Farooqji]

Of the 69 patients who received the procedure in the randomized trial, almost 70% responded to the treatment. Thirty-nine participants who received the procedure continued to see significant benefits three months later, and 30 of those assessed at the one-year mark continued to see benefits. The procedure, the researchers conclude, could be particularly useful for patients who are ineligible or unwilling to receive deep brain stimulation, a surgery that implants electrodes deep in the brain to accomplish the same symptom-management goals.

Side effects reported by treatment recipients included trouble speaking, difficulty walking and loss of taste. The loss of taste and difficulty walking were mild and resolved on their own. One participant continued to experience slurred speech a year after the procedure, the researchers report.

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