Ultrasound 'Helmet' Could Treat Many Neurological Conditions

[hey]

Ultrasound 'helmet' could treat Parkinson's non-invasively, study shows

A new ultrasound device can now penetrate deep into the brain, something that was previously impossible. This device can target regions of the brain that, until now, could only be reached with deep brain stimulation. That procedure required invasive surgery and carried the risk of side effects.

The new device removes the need for surgery while being just as effective. According to the article, researchers are currently using fMRI to guide the process, but in the future they plan to use AI instead, which would eliminate the need for MRI scans.

This development could be especially helpful for patients with hyperacusis. Deep brain stimulation has already been shown to help tinnitus, so this new, safer method offers a promising avenue for treatment.

 

[Jupiterman]

There is no mention of tinnitus or hyperacusis in this article.

High-energy ultraSOUND focused on the brain, I think, would more likely present danger for tinnitus/hyperacusis.

 

[hey]

Dr. Stephen Cheung from the United States has already conducted a small trial of deep brain stimulation and reported some positive results for tinnitus. There are also case reports of people who received DBS for other reasons and experienced a reduction in their tinnitus. I believe there are two other trials currently underway focusing specifically on tinnitus.

This technology has real potential to be applied to our condition and achieve meaningful results. I truly hope tinnitus researchers continue to look into this.

 

[Jupiterman]

You will need to provide the sources for this information, since you claim it references tinnitus reduction through DBS.

 

[Nick47]

@Jupiterman, this is an area of interest. Why? Because, as @hey pointed out, it can stimulate areas of the brain that were previously only accessible through an implant.

We know that deep brain regions are responsible for transferring signals, with the medial geniculate body in particular being implicated, although there are others as well.

We also know that DBS can be effective. This is essentially DBS without surgery.

What the poster correctly pointed out is that this technology has been tested on healthy patients. It has been shown to have millimeter precision and to modulate deep brain areas. It has been tested on healthy participants to explore its capabilities.

My concern is that a single session modulated activity for only one to two hours. So how would long-term modulation be possible?