Focused Ultrasound Therapy
Focused ultrasound is a rapidly evolving, noninvasive, therapeutic technology with the potential to improve the quality of life and decrease the cost of care for patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This novel technology focuses beams of ultrasound energy precisely and accurately on targets deep in the brain without damaging surrounding normal tissue.
How it Works
Where the beams converge, focused ultrasound produces neuromodulative therapeutic effects that are currently being evaluated.
Advantages
The primary options for treatment for malignancies of the biliary tract include chemotherapy, but radiation therapy or surgery can also be used.
For certain patients, focused ultrasound could provide a noninvasive – and perhaps more effective – alternative to conventional therapy. Focused ultrasound carries less risk of complications – such as surgical wound healing or infection – at a lower cost. It can reach the desired target without damaging surrounding tissue and is repeatable, if necessary. While significant work has been accomplished, there is still much to be done before this technology will be widely available.
Clinical Trials
A clinical trial in California is recruiting patients “by invitation” and is using low frequency focused ultrasound targeting the anterior cingulate in multiple treatment sessions.
Regulatory Approval and Reimbursement
Focused ultrasound treatment for ADHD is not yet approved by regulatory bodies or covered by medical insurance companies.
Notable Papers
Materna L, Wiesner CD, Shushakova A, Trieloff J, Weber N, Engell A, Schubotz RI, Bauer J, Pedersen A, Ohrmann P. Adult patients with ADHD differ from healthy controls in implicit, but not explicit, emotion regulation. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2019 Sep 1;44(5):340-349. doi: 10.1503/jpn.180139.
Tang C, Wei Y, Zhao J, Nie J. Different Developmental Pattern of Brain Activities in ADHD: A Study of Resting-State fMRI. Dev Neurosci. 2018;40(3):246-257. doi: 10.1159/000490289. Epub 2018 Jul 13.
Click here for additional references from PubMed.
