Researchers explore how focused ultrasound can help treat patients with epilepsy

Michael Walter | | Radiology Business | Ultrasound

A team from the Ohio State University College of Medicine is leading research aimed at determining if focused ultrasound surgery can help treat adult patients suffering from epileptic seizures. The group’s clinical trial is said to be the first of its kind.

“We’re pursuing this clinical trial because we know there’s a large unmet clinical need,” Vibhor Krishna, MD, ScM, of the Ohio State  University Wexner Medical Center, said in a news release from the university. “More than 20 million people worldwide live with uncontrollable seizures because no available treatment works for them. Our goals are to test the safety of this procedure and study changes in seizure frequency in these patients.”

The clinical trial will include as many as 10 patients. According to the Ohio State news release, a 58-year-old patient was treated with focused ultrasound for his epilepsy earlier this year, becoming the first patient to ever undergo such treatment. It was a three-hour surgery, and the patient was “awake and alert” the entire time, providing feedback to specialists.

Michael Walter
Michael Walter, Managing Editor

Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.

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