MRI-guided focused ultrasound eased Parkinson's on both sides for some patients
The full story behind my Short: Staged bilateral MRgFUS in 40 patients: 86% reported some improvement three months after the second side. The second side helped less and raised speech, walking and balance risks. Careful selection required.
Not a cure. The second side raises speech and balance risks. This page is not medical advice. Talk to your neurology team.
The short version
Magnetic resonance–guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) focuses sound waves through the skull to make a tiny lesion in a movement pathway deep in the brain — no open surgery. A multicentre trial tested treating both sides of the brain in stages for Parkinson's motor complications [1][2].
What they found
The team first treated the side of the brain matching each patient's worse body side, then offered the other side at least six months later. The target was the pallidothalamic tract. One patient, Stan Au, returned to pickleball after treatment [1].
The second side provided less additional motor benefit and was linked to a higher risk of speech, walking and balance problems. Regulators say bilateral treatment should be reserved for carefully selected patients with disabling symptoms on the untreated side who had no serious side effects after the first treatment [1].
Limits and caveats
- Second-side risks. Speech, walking and balance issues more common after side 2 [1].
- Not a cure. Symptom relief only; Parkinson's continues.
- Careful selection. Not suitable for everyone.
- Trial published earlier this year in The Lancet Neurology [1][2].
Watch the Short
Why it matters
Many people with Parkinson's eventually have disabling symptoms on both sides. A noninvasive option that can treat both sides — with clear caveats — expands what patients and neurologists can discuss.
Full narration (transcript)
A noninvasive ultrasound treatment eased Parkinson's symptoms on both sides of the body for some patients. MRI-guided focused ultrasound burns a tiny spot deep in the brain, no open surgery. A multicentre trial treated 40 people on both sides, published in The Lancet Neurology. Three months after the second side, 86 percent reported some improvement. One patient even got back to pickleball. But the second side helped less, and raised the risk of speech, walking and balance problems. So regulators say it should be for carefully chosen patients only. It's FDA-approved for staged bilateral treatment, and Medicare covers it in the US. It isn't a cure, and it isn't right for everyone. This isn't medical advice. Talk to your neurology team. Follow the link to the main website for much deeper information.
Sources
- [1] Medical Xpress (27 Oct 2026), Weill Cornell Medical College. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-noninvasive-focused-ultrasound-treatment-ease.html
- [2] Dalvi A et al. Staged bilateral MRgFUS pallidothalamic tractotomy for Parkinson's. Lancet Neurology. doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(26)00142-0. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(26)00142-0
Credits
Images via Wikimedia Commons (illustrative unless stated): Paralysis agitans 2.jpg (Alfred Loomis & William Thompson, Public domain); MRI Brain T2 Axial (17).jpg (511KeV, CC BY-SA 4.0); Basal ganglia without Parkinson's disease.png (Mikael Häggström, based on images by Andrew Gillies/User:Anaru and Patrick J. Lynch, CC BY-SA 3.0); Harry B. Anderson Tennis Center - Pickleball Courts 1-3.jpg (GA Kevin, CC0); Big MRI.jpg (liz west from Boxborough, MA, CC BY 2.0). On-screen graphics: own.
AI voice note: the narration in the Short is an AI clone of my own voice (Chatterbox TTS by Resemble AI, MIT licence), used with my consent. I wrote the script and checked the figures against the sources above.
This page is general information, not medical or dental advice. Please talk to a doctor, dentist or pharmacist about your own health.