Ultrasound Neuromodulation in Essential Tremor
This study is exploring whether low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU), which uses low-energy sound waves, can temporarily change brain activity and behavior in people with Essential Tremor (ET). Researchers will direct LIFU to specific brain areas thought to cause ET and measure any tremor improvement. The goal is to see if LIFU can help understand the brain circuits involved in tremor. You may be able to join if you are an adult (18 or older) with medically resistant tremor who is already scheduled to receive MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) thalamotomy at UCSF. Success in this study means seeing a reduction in tremor immediately after each LIFU application. The current recruitment status is unclear.
- Study design
- This is an interventional study designed to find the best LIFU settings to temporarily reduce tremor. It plans to enroll 60 participants.
- What's involved
- Not specified in the trial record.
- Compensation
- Not stated in the trial record.
- Follow-up
- Tremor reduction will be measured for 3 minutes immediately after each sonication protocol.
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Ultrasound Neuromodulation in Essential Tremor
At a glance
Conditions
Where it's being run
1 sites across 1 statesStudy leadership
- Leo Sugrue, MD, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of California, San Francisco
Who to contact
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Do you actually qualify for this trial?
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Inclusion
Exclusion
What this trial measures
- Reduction in tremorFor 3 minutes immediately after the application of each sonication protocol
The investigators will screen ultrasound parameters through repeated sonications within the same session (up to 25, depending on patient response) to determine which parameter set is most effective at reducing tremor in each participant as measured by wrist accelerometers (reduction in tremor power from baseline in the characteristic ET range of 4-12 Hz). Stimulation protocols will consist of 5 seconds of active stimulation followed by 10 seconds of no stimulation repeated four times (total 60 s). After each 60-s stimulation, there will be a delay of 3 minutes, during which the investigators will monitor tremor severity every 60 seconds through quantitative accelerometer recordings. If a change in tremor severity greater than 50% is found in the post-LIFU period compared to the pre-LIFU baseline, the investigators will wait until tremor returns to a level comparable to baseline before proceeding with additional stimulations.