Magdalen Fellow Professor Robin Cleveland is part of a research team exploring the use of non-invasive ultrasound to treat Parkinson’s disease.
In a recent proof-of-concept study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, and the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences demonstrated that transcranial ultrasound stimulation can influence brain activity in Parkinson’s patients in ways similar to deep brain stimulation (DBS).
DBS alleviates symptoms of Parkinson’s disease by targeting abnormal beta-band brain oscillations, but it requires invasive surgery to implant electrodes. In their study, the researchers applied ultrasound stimulation to a deep brain structure called the globus pallidus and noticed a reduction in abnormal beta-band activity across a broader network of connected regions known as the basal ganglia.
These findings provide early evidence that ultrasound can modulate neural biomarkers associated with Parkinson’s disease.
The team believes this technique could also be used to identify precise brain targets to guide surgery and may have potential applications in treating conditions such as chronic pain and tinnitus.
This is a wonderful example of the environment Oxford provides, where world-leading experts from different disciplines can work together to address issues of societal impact
Professor Robin Cleveland
Professor Cleveland commented, “This is a wonderful example of the environment Oxford provides, where world-leading experts from different disciplines can work together to address issues of societal impact.”
The findings could eventually benefit the approximately 8.5 million people worldwide living with Parkinson’s disease.