Researchers have made progress with a non-invasive ultrasound deep-brain stimulation for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in model mice, according to a recent study published in the Research journal.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive nervous system disorder by which patients may suffer from dyskinesia. Typically, PD symptoms start with a noticeable tremor, which may gradually lead to stiffness or slow reaction. 

The cause of PD is mainly related to the dysfunction of the deep brain nucleus and the neural circuit. Physically modulating the deep-brain nucleus and its circuit has traditionally been the standard method for treating brain diseases.

As a mechanical wave, ultrasound also has great prospects for intervening with and treating brain diseases. The Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology research team of the Chinese Academy of Sciences demonstrated that the UDBS of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or the globus pallidus (GP) could improve motor behavior of PD model mice.

The data demonstrated that the UDBS enables modulation of STN or GP neural activity and leads to neuroprotection in mice with PD, according to the research paper, potentially serving as a non-invasive strategy for the clinical treatment of PD.

The researchers have also developed a wearable head-mounted ultrasound transducer with a stimulus accuracy up to a millimeter, which can accurately focus on the deep nucleus of a PD model mouse.