Ultrasound ‘helmet’ hints at promising future of Parkinson’s treatment

An innovative ultrasound “helmet” is set to transform the ways for treating Parkinson’s disease non-invasively, a new research study suggests.

The device can target the brain regions with 1000 times better precision than ultrasound, offering a promising replacement for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in treating neurological conditions.

Besides Parkinson’s disease, the cutting-edge technology can also provide a breakthrough in managing and treating other conditions, such as Tourette syndrome, chronic pain, depression, and Alzheimer’s.

According to findings of the device's efficacy published in Nature Communication, the newly introduced system can hit brain regions 30 times smaller than deep-brain devices.

DBS offers a highly invasive and surgical option in which electrodes are implanted in the brain. Through these electrodes, the electrical pulses are sent to the brain, turning them into mechanical pulses through ultrasound.

Unlike DBS, the new helmet negates the possibility of surgical options.

Ioana Grigoras of Oxford University said, “It is a head helmet with 256 sources that fits inside an MRI scanner. It is chunky and claustrophobic putting it on your head at first, but then you get comfortable.”

In trials, the researchers achieved remarkable success as the waves reached the target in the brain region of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) with significant accuracy, demonstrating the success of a device.

According to Prof Charlotte Stagg, “The initial success alone was extraordinary, and no one has done it before.”

Neuroscience professor, Elsa Fouragnan has praised the innovation, calling it a neuroscience milestone that will pave the way for clinical