Pilot study assesses low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound's safety and feasibility in chronic neuropathic pain, implying need for further trials.
Key Points
This study aims to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and preliminary effects of low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound targeting the anterior thalamus in chronic neuropathic pain.
Prospective, open-label, single-arm pilot study with 5 adults having refractory central neuropathic pain.
Participants underwent neuronavigated low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound targeting the anterior thalamus with two 10-minute stimulation blocks.
Pain intensity was measured using the visual analog scale at multiple time points post-intervention.
The intervention was feasible without serious adverse events; one participant reported mild transient neck discomfort.
No statistically significant changes were noted in pain intensity or secondary outcomes at any time point compared to baseline.
Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound proved safe but did not provide significant short-term analgesic effects.