Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Essential Tremor in Adults

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This pilot study enrolls twelve adults with essential tremor to receive six sessions of low intensity focused ultrasound targeting the thalamic Vim region over roughly two weeks. Outcomes include clinician-rated tremor scales, patient quality of life, and objective movement data collected before and after each session, with follow-ups at one and three months. MRI safety scans are done at baseline and after the final session to monitor any brain changes. The aim is to see if non-ablative ultrasound can safely affect tremor circuits and provide preliminary data for future controlled trials.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Confirmed clinical diagnosis of ET
2. Isolated tremor syndrome, at least 3 years duration
3. Subjective complaint of tremor assessed and validated by physician
4. Must be willing to comply with the study protocol
5. English Proficiency
6. At least 18 years of age
7. At most 90 years of age

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Severe microvascular disease or structural brain lesions equivalent to Fazekas scale of 3 or higher in the periventicular or deep white matter.
2. Subjects on blood thinning medications (e.g. Eliquis)
3. Recent stroke (within the last 6 months)
4. Implanted electrodes (e.g. DBS) in brain
5. History of aneurysm
6. History of cranial trauma resulting in fracture or traumatic brain injury
7. Subjects who are unable to cooperate with the testing.
8. Subjects who lack capacity to consent
9. Subjects with severe cardiac disease, increased intracranial pressure, or using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit.
10. Severe cardiac disease will be defined as any of the following:

    i) History of myocardial infarction within the past 6 months ii) Diagnosis of congestive heart failure with NYHA Class III or IV symptoms iii) History of unstable angina, life-threatening arrhythmias, or use of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) iv) Uncontrolled hypertension (SBP \>180 mmHg or DBP \>110 mmHg) despite medication v) Any condition judged by the study physician to place the subject at increased risk from study participation
11. Subjects with implanted medical devices
12. Subjects with a history of seizure disorder.
13. Subjects with contraindications to enter MRI environment
14. Subjects with a history of substance abuse.
15. Subjects who are currently pregnant. This will be verified by a urine test prior to beginning the study.

Where it's running

• UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
  Los Angeles, California, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: William Zeiger, MD, PhD — University of California, Los Angeles
• Study coordinator: Andrew Bishay
• Email: andrewbishay@ucla.edu
• Phone: 4243719869

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• Encora X1 in Daily Life for Essential Tremor

  This real-world study tests how the Encora X1 wrist device affects day-to-day activities for adults with essential tremor over three years.

  Recruiting Encora, Inc. · Boston, Massachusetts · NCT07911488

• Intraoperative Microelectrode Recordings with MAVEN vs Standard Equipment

  This study tests whether MAVEN can match the recording data collected during DBS surgery for movement disorders using standard equipment.

  Recruiting Mayo Clinic · Rochester, Minnesota · NCT07868614

• Microelectrode-based brain stimulation for Parkinson’s and essential tremor

  This early feasibility test checks a new microelectrode-based brain stimulation method in adults with Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor who are already getting deep brain stimulation implants.

  Recruiting Lund University · Lund, Skåne County · NCT07820189

• Non-Invasive Nerve Stimulation for Essential Tremor: Long-Term Safety and Effectiveness

  This study tests whether a non-invasive stimulation device called TAPS helps reduce tremor in adults with essential tremor over a long period.

  Recruiting Ruijin Hospital · Shanghai · NCT07774598

• Closed-loop TMS to reduce tremor

  This trial tries phase-locked transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to reduce tremor in people with essential tremor or Parkinson's disease.

  Recruiting University of Oxford · Oxford, Oxfordshire · NCT07574164

• How deep brain stimulation affects learning and producing speech in Parkinson's disease and essential tremor

  This research will see if turning deep brain stimulation on and off changes how adults with Parkinson's disease or essential tremor learn and produce new speech sound sequences.

  Recruiting at 2 sites Boston University Charles River Campus · Boston, Massachusetts and 1 other locations · NCT07455760

How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.