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Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy for the Treatment of Essential Tremor: A 2-Year Outcome Study of Chinese People

Authors :
Hui-Chin Lai
Wei-Chieh Chang
Kun Hong Li
Peihan Wu
Cheng-Yu Wei
Ming-Tsung Lee
Kevin Wen-Kai Tsai
Wei Lin
Takaomi Taira
Pai-Yi Chiu
Source :
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, Vol 13 (2021), Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
Frontiers Media SA, 2021.

Abstract

Background: Essential tremor (ET) is a common movement disorder among elderly individuals worldwide and is occasionally associated with a high risk for mild cognitive impairment and dementia. This retrospective study aimed to determine the clinical outcome of unilateral magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy in Chinese patients with ET.Methods: In total, 31 male and 17 female patients with drug-refractory ET were enrolled in this research study from January 2017 to September 2019. The severity of tremor and disability were assessed using the Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST) within a 2-year follow-up period.Results: The mean age of the participants was 59.14 ± 13.5 years. The mean skull density ratio (SDR) was 0.5 ± 0.1. The mean highest temperature was 57.0 ± 2.4°C. The mean number of sonications was 10.0 ± 2.6. The average maximum energy was 19,710.5 ± 8,624.9 J. The total CRST scores and sub-scores after MRgFUS thalamotomy significantly reduced during each follow-up (p < 0.001). All but four (8.3%) of the patients had reversible adverse events (AEs) after the procedure.Conclusions: MRgFUS had sustained clinical efficacy 2 years after treatment for intractable ET. Only few patients presented with thalamotomy-related AEs including numbness, weakness, and ataxia for an extended period. Most Chinese patients were treated safely and effectively despite their low SDR.

Details

ISSN :
16634365
Volume :
13
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....1b644f60dcf14e3179de9a4bf3b34ef3
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2021.697029