Focused Ultrasound May Benefit Patients with Epilepsy
|
By HospiMedica International staff writers Posted on 17 Nov 2021 |
|
Image: Focused ultrasound being delivered using neuronavigation and EEG monitoring (Photo courtesy of Hsiang-Yu Yu/ VGHTPE)
A new study suggests that focused ultrasound (FUS) of the brain may benefit patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE).
Researchers at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU; Taipei, Taiwan), Taipei Veterans General Hospital (Taiwan), and other institutions conducted a study in six DRE patients who were scheduled to undergo stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) for localization of the seizure onset zone (SOZ), providing a window of opportunity to investigate the neuromodulatory effects of FUS. Simultaneous SEEG recordings were obtained during sonication and for three days after treatment to monitor seizures, interictal epileptiform discharges, and adverse events.
The results revealed a decrease in seizure frequency in two patients within the three-day follow-up, with significant changes in spectral power of SEEG noted at the targeted electrodes during FUS; one patient showed an increase in the frequency of subclinical seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed neither lesion nor brain edema. One patient reported subjective scalp heating during FUS, and one patient developed transient naming and memory impairment that resolved within three weeks. The study was published on November 2, 2021, in Epilepsia.
“Neuromodulation is an alternative treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy. Compared with the present modalities used in neuromodulation for epilepsy, focused ultrasound can access deeper brain regions and focus on the main target of the epileptic network in a relatively less invasive approach,” said senior author Hsiang-Yu Yu, PhD, of VGHTPE and the NYCU Brain Research Center. “It gives new hope and sheds new light for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.”
Focused ultrasound is based on nonlinear acoustic mathematical optimization methods to analyze and simulate the propagation of sound in material. The information is then used to enhance the shape of an acoustic lens in such a way that that ultrasound pressure is focused precisely on the location of the tissue to be treated, while the surrounding tissue retains as little damage as possible.
Related Links:
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Taipei Veterans General Hospital
Researchers at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU; Taipei, Taiwan), Taipei Veterans General Hospital (Taiwan), and other institutions conducted a study in six DRE patients who were scheduled to undergo stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) for localization of the seizure onset zone (SOZ), providing a window of opportunity to investigate the neuromodulatory effects of FUS. Simultaneous SEEG recordings were obtained during sonication and for three days after treatment to monitor seizures, interictal epileptiform discharges, and adverse events.
The results revealed a decrease in seizure frequency in two patients within the three-day follow-up, with significant changes in spectral power of SEEG noted at the targeted electrodes during FUS; one patient showed an increase in the frequency of subclinical seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed neither lesion nor brain edema. One patient reported subjective scalp heating during FUS, and one patient developed transient naming and memory impairment that resolved within three weeks. The study was published on November 2, 2021, in Epilepsia.
“Neuromodulation is an alternative treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy. Compared with the present modalities used in neuromodulation for epilepsy, focused ultrasound can access deeper brain regions and focus on the main target of the epileptic network in a relatively less invasive approach,” said senior author Hsiang-Yu Yu, PhD, of VGHTPE and the NYCU Brain Research Center. “It gives new hope and sheds new light for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.”
Focused ultrasound is based on nonlinear acoustic mathematical optimization methods to analyze and simulate the propagation of sound in material. The information is then used to enhance the shape of an acoustic lens in such a way that that ultrasound pressure is focused precisely on the location of the tissue to be treated, while the surrounding tissue retains as little damage as possible.
Related Links:
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Taipei Veterans General Hospital
Gold Member
12-Channel ECG
CM1200B
Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
New
Desk Aneroid Sphyg
Diagnostix 750D+
New
Hybrid Arch Device
Neo EDE
Latest Patient Care News
- AI Avatar Doctor Improves Patient Understanding Before Radiotherapy
- Wearable Sleep Data Predict Adherence to Pulmonary Rehabilitation
- Revolutionary Automatic IV-Line Flushing Device to Enhance Infusion Care
- VR Training Tool Combats Contamination of Portable Medical Equipment
- Portable Biosensor Platform to Reduce Hospital-Acquired Infections
- First-Of-Its-Kind Portable Germicidal Light Technology Disinfects High-Touch Clinical Surfaces in Seconds
- Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization
- Game-Changing Innovation in Surgical Instrument Sterilization Significantly Improves OR Throughput
- Next Gen ICU Bed to Help Address Complex Critical Care Needs
- Groundbreaking AI-Powered UV-C Disinfection Technology Redefines Infection Control Landscape
- Clean Hospitals Can Reduce Antibiotic Resistance, Save Lives
- Smart Hospital Beds Improve Accuracy of Medical Diagnosis
- New Fast Endoscope Drying System Improves Productivity and Traceability
- World’s First Automated Endoscope Cleaner Fights Antimicrobial Resistance
- Portable High-Capacity Digital Stretcher Scales Provide Precision Weighing for Patients in ER
- Portable Clinical Scale with Remote Indicator Allows for Flexible Patient Weighing Use
Channels
Artificial Intelligence
view channel
Automated Phone Speech Test Identifies Alzheimer’s Pathology for Prescreening
Alzheimer’s disease assessment and trial recruitment often rely on costly, invasive biomarker testing and clinic-based cognitive evaluations, limiting scalability as populations age. Providers and trial... Read more
FDA-Cleared AI System Detects Sepsis Earlier and Reduces Mortality
Sepsis remains one of the deadliest complications for hospitalized patients, in part because its early signs overlap with other conditions. Each hour of delayed recognition measurably decreases survival,... Read more
Critical Care
view channel
AI-Enabled Wearable Patches Reveal Undetected Hormone Disruption in Infertility
Unexplained infertility, diagnosed when routine evaluations identify no clear cause, affects 15–30% of couples and often leaves patients with limited options. Standard testing typically captures hormone... Read more
FDA-Cleared Home Sleep Test Enables Multi-Night Diagnosis of Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is common but often underdiagnosed, partly because access to in-lab polysomnography is limited and wait times are long. Clinicians need home-based diagnostics that can reliably... Read more
Surgical Techniques
view channel
Stretchable Bioelectronic Implant Lowers Blood Pressure in Preclinical Study
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, drives major cardiovascular morbidity and affects nearly half of adults in the United States. About one in ten patients develop drug‑resistant hypertension that persists... Read more
FDA-Cleared Nerve Stimulator Advances Intraoperative Peripheral Nerve Assessment
The Evala Nerve Stimulator from Epineuron (Mississauga, ON, Canada) is a handheld, intraoperative electrical stimulation system designed to provide surgeons with a rapid and accurate method for nerve identification... Read more
Health IT
view channel
EHR-Integrated Screening Workflow Detects Cognitive Impairment at Admission
Cognitive impairment involves difficulties with thinking, learning, memory, and decision-making, and is more common in older adults. In U.S. hospitals, more than 40% of admitted older adults have dementia,... Read more
AI System Detects and Quantifies Chronic Subdural Hematoma
Viz.ai (San Francisco, CA, USA) announced a strategic commercialization collaboration with Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick, NJ, USA) to expand access in the United States to the Viz Subdural solution... Read more
Continuous Monitoring Platform Detects Infection Risk Across Care Transitions
Patients leaving skilled nursing facilities often lose continuous physiologic monitoring, increasing the risk of undetected infection and delayed intervention. Nursing home residents are seven times more... Read more
Automated System Classifies and Tracks Cardiogenic Shock Across Hospital Settings
Cardiogenic shock remains a difficult, time-sensitive emergency, with delayed identification driving poor outcomes and persistently high mortality. Many cases go undocumented even at advanced stages, hindering... Read morePoint of Care
view channel
Point-of-Care Viscoelastic Testing System Supports Obstetric Bleeding Management
HemoSonics (Durham, NC, USA) announced on May 5, 2026 that the company's Quantra Hemostasis System for Obstetric Procedures won Silver in the 2026 Edison Awards in the Women’s Health and Reproductive Innovations... Read more
Business
view channel
Olympus Partnership Aims to Expand Access to Robot-Assisted Endoscopic Therapy
Olympus has signed an exclusive global distribution agreement with EndoRobotics Co., Ltd., under which robot-assisted technologies developed by EndoRobotics will be distributed worldwide as part of the... Read more
