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Interest in effective treatments for medication-refractory essential tremor has led to renewed interest in ablative brain lesions placed in the thalamus. Now, researchers report on the effects of such lesions created by using a novel ultrasound and transcranial magnetic resonance imaging–guided approach to place lesions in the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus on one side of the brain only, in 15 patients. Outcomes were scores on the Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor and the Quality of Life in Essential Tremor Questionnaire.
Post-operative imaging revealed that the ultrasound therapy was effective at producing a visible thalamic lesion in all patients. Transient sensory, cerebellar, motor, and speech issues emerged in many patients…