Using focused ultrasound to treat essential tremor

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 study tests the effects of low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) on brain activity and behavior in patients with essential tremor. By targeting specific brain areas responsible for tremor, the researchers aim to identify optimal stimulation parameters that lead to temporary tremor reduction. The study involves measuring wrist movements and using resting state fMRI to observe changes in brain connectivity after LIFU application. Patients will be recruited from an existing program that treats tremor using high-intensity focused ultrasound.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients with medically refractory tremor scheduled to undergo MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) thalamotomy to treat their tremor at UCSF.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Due to the logistical complexity of performing MRI in patients with MR-conditional pacemakers (need for device and patient monitoring), patients with pacemakers will be excluded from enrollment. All other patients undergoing HIFU thalamotomy for tremor will be eligible for enrollment.

Where it's running

• Pritzker Building, UCSF
  San Francisco, California, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Leo Sugrue, MD, PhD — University of California, San Francisco
• Study coordinator: Leo P. Sugrue, MD, PhD
• Email: leo.sugrue@ucsf.edu
• Phone: 415-353-9056

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

• Percutaneous nerve stimulation for knee osteoarthritis

  A device is used to send tiny electrical impulses to nerves around the knee to see if it reduces pain for adults with moderate to severe knee OA who have not had relief from other treatments.

  Recruiting Tanta University · Tanta · NCT07637682

• Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Essential Tremor in Adults

  This early-stage, open-label study tests whether repeated low-intensity focused ultrasound can safely and briefly modulate tremor in people with essential tremor.

  Recruiting Early Phase 1 University of California, Los Angeles · Los Angeles, California · NCT07599592

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.