Magnetic Resonance‐Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS)‐Thalamotomy for Essential Tremor: Lesion Location and Clinical Outcomes

Abstract Background Factors predicting clinical outcomes after MR‐guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS)‐thalamotomy in patients with essential tremor (ET) are not well known. Objective To examine the clinical outcomes and their relationship with patients' baseline demographic and clinical features and lesion characteristics at 6‐month follow‐up in ET patients. Methods A total of 127 patients were prospectively evaluated at 1 ( n = 122), 3 ( n = 102), and 6 months ( n = 78) after MRgFUS‐thalamotomy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was obtained at 6 months ( n = 60). Primary outcomes included: (1) change in the Clinical Rating Scale of Tremor (CRST)‐A+B score in the treated hand and (2) frequency and severity of adverse events (AEs) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included changes in all subitems of the CRST scale in the treated hand, CRST‐C, axial tremor (face, head, voice, tongue), AEs, and correlation of primary outcomes at 6 months with lesion characteristics. Statistical analysis included linear mixed, standard, and logistic regression models. Results Scores for CRST‐A+B, CRST‐A, CRST‐B in the treated hand, CRST‐C, and axial tremor were improved at each evaluation ( P < 0.001). Five patients had severe AEs at 1 month that became mild throughout the follow‐up. Mild AEs occurred in 71%, 45%, and 34% of patients at 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. Lesion volume was associated with the reduction in the CRST‐A ( P = 0.003) and its overlapping with the ventralis intermedius nucleus (Vim) nucleus with the reduction in CRST‐A+B ( P = 0.02) and CRST‐B ( P = 0.008) at 6 months. Conclusions MRgFUS‐thalamotomy improves hand and axial tremor in ET patients. Transient and mild AEs are frequent. Lesion volume and location are associated with tremor reduction. © 2024 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.