Ultrasound waves could be key to treating Parkinson’s disease

Kimberly Spletter has a follow-up appointment with neurologist Dr. Paul Fishman at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. Last week, she had a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease called “MR guided focused ultrasound.” less Kimberly Spletter has a follow-up appointment with neurologist Dr. Paul Fishman at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. Last week, she had a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease called ... more Photo: Barbara Haddock Taylor, McClatchy-Tribune News Service Photo: Barbara Haddock Taylor, McClatchy-Tribune News Service Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Ultrasound waves could be key to treating Parkinson’s disease 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

BALTIMORE — Kimberly Spletter’s knee would pop backward involuntarily, or her leg would shake uncontrollably. Sometimes she’d cross her legs tightly, trying to make it all stop — to no avail.

“I had to live with it,” said the 50-year-old Frederick woman, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease. “I tried to keep it to a dull roar, but that was the best that I could do.”

That all changed in a matter of hours after Spletter recently underwent a groundbreaking procedure at the University of Maryland Medical Center that guided ultrasound waves through her skull to kill the brain cells interfering with her motor skills. She’s participating in a clinical study looking at a cutting-edge way — known as focused ultrasound — to possibly treat certain Parkinson’s symptoms noninvasively.

As many as 1 million people in the United States live with Parkinson’s, a nervous system disorder that affects movement and becomes progressively worse over time. The disease most often afflicts older people, but about 4 percent of those suffering from it are under age 50. Symptoms include tremors, stiff limbs, trouble balancing and a general slowdown in movement. Medications can ease the symptoms but may trigger other side effects in patients.

Spletter was the first at the University of Maryland Medical Center to participate in the study, which also is being conducted in Korea, Canada and at the University of Virginia.

Spletter said many of her painful symptoms have subsided. “I feel like a got a new lease on life,” she said.

The question is for how long.

“One of the things we don’t know is whether this is durable,” said Dr. Howard M. Eisenberg, principal investigator at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Spletter “was good today.We don’t know if she’ll be good in six months.”