The Department of Neurosurgery at Taipei Veterans General Hospital has introduced a procedure called "Sonic Knife", which uses focused ultrasound with MRI navigation to break the tremor nerve circuit. It is non-invasive and does not require opening the skull or anesthesia. It has successfully treated patients with "essential tremor" and "Parkinson's disease" and is expected to be used in the future to treat epilepsy, dystonia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, providing great relief to patients with neurological disorders.
Dr. Cheng-chia Lee of the Department of Neurosurgery at Taipei Veterans General Hospital said that in Taiwan, about 400,000 people suffer from essential tremor, which is more common than Parkinson's disease. Essential tremor is caused by nerve degeneration, resulting in continuous shaking in different parts of the body, and is most common in the elderly, but can occur at any age. More than half of essential tremor patients have a family history of the disease, and it is estimated that approximately 400,000 people in this country are affected by the condition.
The 94-year-old Mr. Ouyang, a former biographer, suffered from a tremor disorder around the age of 70 that caused uncontrollable shaking in his hands, making it impossible for him to write, drink or eat, and severely affecting his daily life. He was reluctant to undergo cranial surgery for fear of surgical risks, but after undergoing the non-invasive “Sonic Knife (MRI-guided focused ultrasound)" procedure, his hands immediately stopped trembling and he regained normal writing and grasping functions, restoring color to his life from black and white.
Dr. Cheng-chia Lee explains that in general, medications are usually tried first for either essential tremor or Parkinson's disease. If the symptoms cannot be controlled, further surgical treatments such as thalamotomy or deep brain stimulation (DBS), both of which require brain surgery. Although these treatments are effective, many patients are reluctant to undergo them because of the fear of brain surgery and the risks associated with implanting electrodes in the body.
Unlike traditional invasive procedures, the Sonic Knife is a non-invasive, precise treatment that eliminates the need to implant electrodes and batteries in the patient's brain. Treatment can be performed while the patient is awake and is precisely localized using MRI navigation. Energy is delivered to the targeted nuclei in a single session and is immediately assessed during treatment to determine therapeutic effect. It is effective in treating primary tremor and provides more treatment options for patients with neurological disorders.