The Neuravive treatment of uncontrollable hand tremors is catching on rapidly, and the word is getting out. A press release issued in August, 2017 by the manufacturer, Insightec, proclaimed that over 1000 patients have now been treated thanks to 30 Neuravive systems placed in centers in 10 countries.
The Neuravive treatment is a game-changer for patients with tremors due conditions such as Essential Tremor (ET) or Parkinson’s disease. Currently, there are pharmaceutical treatment protocols prescribed when tremors begin to interfere with daily tasks and functions. However, for about 50% of patients, the treatments either aren’t effective or cause side effects patients don’t like. Because tremors can become worse over time, for many patients it becomes virtually impossible to perform simple actions like eating soup or closing buttons.
When tremors are severe, and do not respond to medication, there are invasive treatments involving brain implants or inserting a heat probe into the brain to deaden the small area that relays malfunctioning brain messages that cause tremors. However, many patients are reluctant to consider neurosurgical procedures that involve drilling a hole in the skull and physically entering the brain.
This is where the noninvasive Neuravive procedure comes in. It uses high resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to direct hundreds of beams of ultrasound focused on the small brain area that relays the faulty signals. Therefore, it is called MR-guided Focused Ultrasound, or MRgFUS. Each single ultrasound beam passes harmlessly through the skull and brain tissue; then, when the beams converge (meet) at their target, they create a small point of heat that destroys it. As if by a miracle, the tremors are greatly reduced or stopped altogether.
As the treatment is currently applied, only the hand with the worst tremor is treated. This prevents “overtreating” the target which could lead to unwanted side effects. Even restoring one hand to normal function makes patients thrilled and grateful. According to the August press release, Insightec’s CEO Maurice R. Ferré stated, “We are seeing significant demand from both the neurosurgery and patient communities for focused ultrasound. Physicians are excited by the cutting edge technology, while patients are getting their lives back without a single cut.”
Sperling Neurosurgery Associates is proud to offer the Neuravive treatment for uncontrollable hand tremors, and to be in the vanguard of a treatment that will benefit countless patients. If you or a loved one is struggling with hand tremors that do not respond to medication, contact us to learn if you are a candidate for MRgFUS.
About Dr. Dan Sperling
Dan Sperling, MD, DABR, is a board certified radiologist who is globally recognized as a leader in multiparametric MRI for the detection and diagnosis of a range of disease conditions. As Medical Director of the Sperling Prostate Center, Sperling Medical Group and Sperling Neurosurgery Associates, he and his team are on the leading edge of significant change in medical practice. He is the co-author of the new patient book Redefining Prostate Cancer, and is a contributing author on over 25 published studies. For more information, contact the Sperling Neurosurgery Associates.