Tag: thalamotomy

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Focused Ultrasound Central Lateral Thalamotomy for the Treatment of Refractory Neuropathic Pain

Neurosurgery 94:690–699, 2024

Magnetic resonance–guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) central lateral thalamotomy (CLT) has not yet been validated for treating refractory neuropathic pain (NP). Our aim was to assess the safety and potential efficacy of MRgFUS CLT for refractory NP.

METHODS: In this prospective, nonrandomized, single-arm, investigator-initiated phase I trial, patients with NP for more than 6 months related to phantom limb pain, spinal cord injury, or radiculopathy/radicular injury and who had undergone at least one previous failed intervention were eligible. The main outcomes were safety profile and pain as assessed using the brief pain inventory, the pain disability index, and the numeric rating scale. Medication use and the functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) were also assessed.

RESULTS: Ten patients were enrolled, with nine achieving successful ablation. There were no serious adverse events and 12 mild/moderate severity events. The mean age was 50.9 years (SD: 12.7), and the mean symptom duration was 12.3 years (SD: 9.7). Among eight patients with a 1-year follow-up, the brief pain inventory decreased from 7.6 (SD: 1.1) to 3.8 (SD: 2.8), with a mean percent decrease of 46.3 (SD: 40.6) (paired t-test, P = .017). The mean pain disability index decreased from 43.0 (SD: 7.5) to 25.8 (SD: 16.8), with a mean percent decrease of 39.3 (SD: 41.6) (P = .034). Numeric rating scale scores decreased from a mean of 7.2 (SD: 1.8) to 4.0 (SD: 2.8), with a mean percent decrease of 42.8 (SD: 37.8) (P = .024). Patients with predominantly intermittent pain or with allodynia responded better than patients with continuous pain or without allodynia, respectively. Some patients decreased medication use. Resting-state functional connectivity changes were noted, from disruption of the DMN at baseline to reactivation of connectivity between DMN nodes at 3 months.

CONCLUSION: MRgFUS CLT is feasible and safe for refractory NP and has potential utility in reducing symptoms as measured by validated pain scales.

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Patient-Reported Outcomes After Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy for Tremor-Predominant Parkinson’s Disease

Neurosurgery 93:884–891, 2023

Magnetic resonance–guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) has emerged as a precise, incisionless approach to cerebral lesioning and an alternative to neuromodulation in movement disorders. Despite rigorous clinical trials, long-term patient-centered outcome data after MRgFUS for tremor-predominant Parkinson’s Disease (TPPD) are relatively lacking.

OBJECTIVE: To report long-term data on patient satisfaction and quality of life after MRgFUS thalamotomy for TPPD.

METHODS: In a retrospective study of patients who underwent MRgFUS thalamotomy for TPPD at our institution between 2015 and 2022, a patient survey was administered to collect self-reported measures of tremor improvement, recurrence, Patients’ Global Impression of Change (PGIC), and side effects. Patient demographics, FUS parameters, and lesion characteristics were analyzed.

RESULTS: A total of 29 patients were included with a median follow-up of 16 months. Immediate tremor improvement was achieved in 96% of patients. Sustained improvement was achieved in 63% of patients at last follow-up. Complete tremor recurrence to baseline occurred for 17% of patients. Life quality improvement denoted by a PGIC of 1 to 2 was reported by 69% of patients. Long-term side effects were reported by 38% of patients and were mostly mild. Performing a secondary anteromedial lesion to target the ventralis oralis anterior/posterior nucleus was associated with higher rates of speech-related side effects (56% vs 12%), without significant improvement in tremor outcomes.

CONCLUSION: Patient satisfaction with FUS thalamotomy for tremor-predominant PD was very high, even at longer term. Extended lesioning to target the motor thalamus did not improve tremor control and may contribute to greater frequency of postoperative motor- and speech-related side effects.

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A Systematic Review Comparing Focused Ultrasound Surgery With Radiosurgery for Essential Tremor

Neurosurgery 93:524–538, 2023

Focused ultrasound (FUS-T) and stereotactic radiosurgery thalamotomy (SRS-T) targeting the ventral intermediate nucleus are effective incisionless surgeries for essential tremor (ET). However, their efficacy for tremor reduction and, importantly, adverse event incidence have not been directly compared.

OBJECTIVE: To present a comprehensive systematic review with network meta-analysis examining both efficacy and adverse events (AEs) of FUS-T vs SRS-T for treating medically refractory ET.

METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, using the PubMed and Embase databases. We included all primary FUS-T/SRS-T studies with approximately 1-year follow-up, with unilateral Fahn-Tolosa-Marin Tremor Rating Scale or Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor scores prethalamotomy/post-thalamotomy and/or AEs. The primary efficacy outcome was Fahn-Tolosa-Marin Tremor Rating Scale A+B score reduction. AEs were reported as an estimated incidence.

RESULTS: Fifteen studies of 464 patients and 3 studies of 62 patients met inclusion criteria for FUS-T/SRS-T efficacy comparison, respectively. Network meta-analysis demonstrated similar tremor reduction between modalities (absolute tremor reduction: FUS-T: À11.6 (95% CI: À13.3, À9.9); SRS-T: À10.3 (95% CI: À14.2, À6.0). FUS-T had a greater 1-year adverse event rate, particularly imbalance and gait disturbances (10.5%) and sensory disturbances (8.3%). Contralateral hemiparesis (2.7%) often accompanied by speech impairment (2.4%) were most common after SRS-T. There was no correlation between efficacy and lesion volume.

CONCLUSION: Our systematic review found similar efficacy between FUS-T and SRS-T for ET, with trend toward higher efficacy yet greater adverse event incidence with FUS-T. Smaller lesion volumes could mitigate FUS-T off-target effects for greater safety.

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Gamma Knife Central Lateral Thalamotomy for Chronic Neuropathic Pain

Neurosurgery 92:363–369, 2023

Chronic neuropathic pain can be severely disabling and is difficult to treat. The medial thalamus is believed to be involved in the processing of the affectivemotivational dimension of pain, and lesioning of the medial thalamus has been used as a potential treatment for neuropathic pain. Within the medial thalamus, the central lateral nucleus has been considered as a target for stereotactic lesioning.

OBJECTIVE: To study the safety and efficacy of central lateral thalamotomy using Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for the treatment of neuropathic pain.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients with neuropathic pain who underwent central lateral thalamotomy using GKRS. We report on patient outcomes, including changes in pain scores using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale and Barrow Neurological Institute pain intensity score, and adverse events.

RESULTS: Twenty-one patients underwent central lateral thalamotomy using GKRS between 2014 and 2021. Meaningful pain reduction occurred in 12 patients (57%) after a median period of 3 months and persisted in 7 patients (33%) at the last follow-up (the median follow-up was 28 months). Rates of pain reduction at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years were 48%, 48%, 19%, and 19%, respectively. Meaningful pain reduction occurred more frequently in patients with trigeminal deafferentation pain compared with all other patients (P = .009). No patient had treatment-related adverse events.

CONCLUSION: Central lateral thalamotomy using GKRS is remarkably safe. Pain reduction after this procedure occurs in a subset of patients and is more frequent in those with trigeminal deafferentation pain; however, pain recurs frequently over time.

 

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Magnetic resonance–guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy for essential tremor

J Neurosurg 133:417–424, 2020

The authors report their experience in treating patients suffering from medication-resistant essential tremor (ET) with MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy over a 5-year period.

METHODS Forty-four ET patients treated with unilateral MRgFUS ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) thalamotomy were assessed using the Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST) score and the Quality of Life in Essential Tremor Questionnaire (QUEST) over a 5-year span.

RESULTS Tremor was significantly improved immediately following MRgFUS in all patients and ceased completely in 24 patients. CRST scores in the treated hand at baseline (median 19; range 7–32, 44 patients) improved by a median of 16 at 1 month (44 patients; p < 0.0001), 17 at 6 months (31 patients; p < 0.0001), 15 at 1 year (24 patients; p < 0.0001), 18 at 2 years (15 patients; p < 0.0001), 19 at 3 years, (10 patients; p < 0.0001), 21 at 4 years (6 patients; p < 0.01), and 23 at 5 years (2 patients, significance not tested). Return of tremor that impacted activities of daily living was reported in 5 patients (11%). QUEST scores showed significant improvement, with median change of 35 points (p < 0.0001; 44 patients) at 1 month, 33 (p < 0.0001; 31 patients) at 6 months, 27 (p < 0.0001; 24 patients) at 1 year, 26 (p < 0.001; 15 patients) at 2 years, 25 (p < 0.001; 10 patients) at 3 years, 33 (p < 0.001; 6 patients) at 4 years, and 28 (significance not tested, 2 patients) at 5 years. Adverse events after the procedure were reversible in all but 5 patients (11%).

CONCLUSIONS MRgFUS thalamotomy for ET is an effective and safe procedure that provides long-term tremor relief and improvement in quality of life even in patients with medication-resistant disabling tremor. Additional studies with a larger group of patients is needed to substantiate these favorable results.

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