A study prepared by neurologists from the University Hospital of Navarra and published in the journal Movement disorders showed that Ablation of the subthalamic nucleus using the HIUnFU method improves the course of Parkinson’s disease. According to the Spanish Society of Neurology, this neurodegenerative pathology affects about 150,000 people in Spain and causes symptoms such as clumsiness in movement, resting tremor or rigidity.
The study included 20 patients undergoing this treatment. The average improvement in tremors was 90% and in rigidity and clumsiness 70%.
Doctor Maria Cruz Rodriguez Orosdirector Department of Neurology from the clinic explained that “the results show very significant progress, which persists until at least 12 months of follow-up of patients. Moreover, 9 out of 10 of them rated themselves positively and admitted that they felt significantly better six months after the intervention.”The subthalamic nucleus is a brain structure whose neuronal activity is altered due to the loss of dopamine, a characteristic deficiency of this disease. According to Dr. Rodriguez Oroz, “Ablation of this important element of the motor circuit is carried out by placing on the patient a helmet that emits approximately a thousand beams of targeted ultrasound due to the fact that magnetic resonance allows the process to be visualized at a distance. all times. “The energy generated emits heat, which destroys faulty cells.”
This treatment is performed in only one hemisphere of the brain, so it is aimed at patients with asymmetric Parkinson’s disease. That is, when the symptoms of this disease predominantly affect one side of the body.
HIFU is a high-intensity focused ultrasound technique that can accurately treat brain diseases. Thanks to magnetic resonance, it is possible to always visualize the targets to which the energy is directed. This process heats the affected tissue and monitors the injury to prevent side effects from developing.
Hospital of the University of Navarra has operated on more than 400 patients with Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor.. Thanks to a multidisciplinary team, the development of this minimally invasive method does not require prior hospitalization and allows the patient to be discharged soon after treatment.