The effect and mechanism of low intensity focused ultrasound in the treatment of Parkinson's disease

ABSTRACT Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive, neurodegenerative disease. A new brain-stimulation method, low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFUS), has been shown to improve PD-associated motor symptoms and permeabilize the blood-brain barrier. LIFUS is especially attractive due to its non-invasive nature and represents a treatment option that could be incorporated into the future treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including PD. In this paper, we describe the current state and future outlook of LIFUS for the treatment of PD. We also focus on the stimulation principles that underly the effects of LIFUS during PD treatment. The safety and limitations of LIFUS are also discussed.