New treatment for dementia opens up and focused ultrasound proves for the first time improvement in circulation of cerebrospinal fluid
Oct 16, 2024
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The first study to prove the effectiveness of focused ultrasound, a treatment to improve cerebrospinal fluid circulation disorders, has been published, opening up the possibility of treating degenerative brain diseases. Concentrated ultrasound is the latest treatment that focuses ultrasound energy deep inside the brain.
Professor Kim Jae-ho of the Department of Neurology at the Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital at Hallym University, Dr. Kim Hyung-min of the Bionics Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), and Professor Kim Sun-kwang of the Department of Oriental Medicine at Kyung Hee University confirmed this through a study 'Improving cerebrospinal fluid circulation through transcranial focusing ultrasound: real-time in vivo photons and wide-field imaging verification'.
The research team compared the focused ultrasound group and the control group in the mouse model, and confirmed the flow of cerebrospinal fluid through fluorescent dye. Previously, due to technical limitations, real-time flow of cerebrospinal fluid was not observed during focused ultrasound treatment. However, in this study, based on the directional dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid, the irradiation position of focused ultrasound was changed to the cranial floor rather than the skull to overcome this.
In addition, although it was difficult to analyze the fluorescence image in the brain in the past, the effect of focused ultrasound could be measured by combining fluorescence imaging in vivo through a photon microscope. The photon microscope is a microscope that uses two photons with very low energy, and it can be stably observed for a long time because the burden on the biological sample is low.
The analysis showed that the inflow area of cerebrospinal fluid and the intensity of the fluorescent dye were significantly increased in the group to which focused ultrasound was applied, resulting in the inflow of a larger amount of cerebrospinal fluid. In particular, the photonic imaging clearly showed an increase in fluorescent material indicating the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the perivascular space after focused ultrasound stimulation.
In the fine particle tracking experiment, which can confirm the function of cerebrospinal fluid to remove waste from the brain, more fine particles were observed after focusing ultrasound was applied. The average speed of the particles also increased after the application of focused ultrasound.
In addition, as a result of examining brain tissue damage caused by focused ultrasound, no cell damage occurred in any area, and no leakage of the cerebrovascular barrier occurred, confirming the stability of the treatment.
Professor Kim Jae-ho said, "This study is the first real-time imaging technique to prove that focused ultrasound stimulation through the skull promotes circulation of cerebrospinal fluid. We confirmed the possibility of focused ultrasound as a non-invasive treatment that can improve cerebrospinal fluid circulation and is expected to be a breakthrough in the treatment of degenerative brain diseases." he evaluated.
In addition, he added "Recently, the application area of focused ultrasound in clinical practice is expanding, and Hallym University Dongtan Heart Hospital is currently conducting a clinical study to improve walking of patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus through focused ultrasound technology."," he added.
The study was supported by the Korea Research Foundation's excellent new research project, the Korean Medical Digital Convergence Technology Development Project, and the KIST Institution's unique project, and was published in the September issue of the SCIE-class international academic journal Brain Stimulation.
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