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Focused Ultrasound Unilateral Pallidotomy for Medication-Refractory Limb Dystonia
Sponsor: Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to find out if a non-invasive procedure called focused ultrasound can safely and effectively treat limb dystonia in adults who have not improved with medications or botulinum toxin injections. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does focused ultrasound reduce the severity of limb dystonia symptoms? * Is the procedure safe and well tolerated? Researchers will compare people who receive focused ultrasound treatment to those who receive a sham procedure (a look-alike procedure without active treatment) to see if the treatment works. Focused ultrasound works by producing a very small (millimeter-size) lesion in a deep brain region. In this study, the lesion is located in a region called globus pallidus, which helps control movement. Participants will: * Be randomly assigned to one of two groups: focused ultrasound or sham * Undergo a procedure using MRI and focused ultrasound to target a part of the brain called the globus pallidus * Be followed for 6 months after treatment to assess changes in symptoms, quality of life, and brain function * Participants in the sham group will be offered the real treatment after 3 months This study may offer a new non-surgical treatment option for people with dystonia affecting the arm or leg, whose pharmacological control is unsatisfactory.
Official title: Focused Ultrasound Pallidotomy for Medication-Refractory Limb Dystonia (FUTURE Study)
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 80 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
34
Start Date
2025-01-27
Completion Date
2027-02-28
Last Updated
2026-02-11
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Exablate MR-guided Focused Ultrasound Pallidotomy
Active Pallidotomy
Sham Sham Exablate MRgFUS Pallidotomy
Sham procedure. Identical setup without thermal lesioning. Participants cross over to Active Pallidotomy after 3 months.
Locations (4)
Azienda ULSS3 Serenissima
Mestre, (Venice), Italy
IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino-Pulejo"
Messina, Italy
Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta
Milan, Italy
Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia
Palermo, Italy