Treatment with MRI-guided focused ultrasound significantly improves tremors and quality of life in patients with essential tremor (ET), the most common movement disorder. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) were among an international group of investigators studying this new noninvasive treatment, which was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), based on this research. An estimated 10 million people in the U.S. are affected by essential tremor, which unlike Parkinson’s disease, has been viewed as a relatively benign disease caused by abnormalities in the brain. However, its disabling aspects – sometimes sever involuntary and rhythmic shaking in the hands and other extremities – can impair an individual’s ability to perform the simplest tasks, such as eating or holding a pen. Currently, ET affects an estimated 3 percent of Americans and has been treated by medication, surgical procedures or deep brain stimulation (DBS). To read more, click here.
