A team of doctors at St Mary's Hospital in London have used high-intensity sound waves to destroy the malfunctioning tissue in a patient's brain, significantly reducing symptoms of essential tremor. The treatment is being tested on patients with severe tremors caused by Parkinson's disease. The team at St Mary's hope to use the procedure, which costs around £12,500 ($15,764) compared with £35,000 for brain surgery, for other motor disorders including Parkinson's.
A team of doctors at St Mary's Hospital in London have used high-intensity sound waves to destroy the malfunctioning tissue in a patient's brain, significantly reducing symptoms of essential tremor. The non-invasive, five-hour procedure has been called "game-changing" and is being used as part of an international trial to assess its safety and effectiveness. The team at St Mary's hope to use the procedure, which costs around £12,500 ($15,764) compared with £35,000 for brain surgery, for other motor disorders including Parkinson's.