@A MyParkinsonsTeam Member; Back in November, I listened to an online presentation by Dr. Daniel Cleary at OHSU (Oregon Health Sciences University) on Focused Ultrasound. I have gait and balance issues and submitted a question. Here is the question and his response:

On 11/21/23 20:10, Jeff Kemhus wrote:
Thank you Dr. Cleary. I did pick up in your presentation that Focused Ultrasound for PD symptoms other than tremors isn't covered by Medicare. What I was wanting to know is whether Focused Ultrasound has in fact been shown to be at all effective for other PD symptoms, specifically gait and balance. I may be mistaken but thought you had said something in that regard.

Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,
Jeff

From: Daniel Cleary (Email address can only be seen by the question and answer creators)
To: Jeff Kemhus

Wed, Nov 22, 2023 at 12:49 PM

From the trials, Focused Ultrasound can help with the motor (movement) symptoms of PD. Specifically, it helps most with the dyskinesias (abnormal, unintentional movements), and in doing so, can help lower the amount of PD medications people have to take. So focused ultrasound might help gait, but is unlikely to help with balance.

Hope this helps.

DC

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“We think that in those people (with freezing of gait), this area of the cerebellum is increasing its activity, trying to correct some sort of malfunction.” Nankoo believes the focused ultrasound waves will give the target cells an extra boost to help unfreeze people's gait"
https://www.parkinson.ca/profile/ultrasound-sti....