TV viewers in dozens of American cities are learning about the FUSF-funded essential tremor trial at the University of Virginia. In early August, Ivanhoe Broadcast News — a syndication service that works in partnership with the American Institute of Physics — provided subscribing stations with a video report about the trial. Stations will air the story whenever newscast time permits.
The story features interviews with the study’s first patient, Billy R. Williams, and its principal investigator, W. Jeffrey Elias, MD.
Click here to view the story on Ivanhoe’s website.
UVA trial update
The UVA trial, which is still in progress, is the first in the world to evaluate the safety and initial efficacy of MR-guided focused ultrasound in treating essential tremor. Ten patients have been treated since the trial began in February 2011; five more will undergo the procedure before the study ends later this year. Primary investigator, W. Jeffrey Elias, MD, is scheduled to report preliminary findings on October 2 at the 2011 Congress of Neurological Surgeons meeting in Washington, DC.