Key Points
- A Swiss research team published clinical trial data from using bilateral pallidothalamic tractotomy to treat Parkinson’s symptoms.
- Two of the ten patients were treated on both sides of the brain in one session.
- Twelve months after treatment, patients reported measurable symptom relief.
Lead author Marc Gallay, MD, and a research team led by Professor Daniel Jeanmonod recently published data from their clinical trial in Switzerland that enrolled 10 participants with chronic and therapy-resistant Parkinson’s disease who underwent bilateral pallidothalamic tractotomy. All procedures were performed with the Insightec Exablate Neuro device either concomitantly (two patients) or in two sessions (eight patients). Twelve months after receiving the treatment, patients reported a high global symptom relief for both body sides. The authors concluded that bilateral treatment efficiently controlled tremor, distal rigidity, distal hypobradykinesia, dyskinesias, dystonia, and pain.