00:00:00:01 - 00:00:02:06 Welcome to Live Well with UCI Health. 00:00:02:06 - 00:00:04:17 My name is Gina Grad with Alt 98.7 00:00:04:17 - 00:00:06:08 and iHeart Radio. 00:00:06:08 - 00:00:07:22 And today I am here with someone 00:00:07:22 - 00:00:09:00 very, very special. 00:00:09:00 - 00:00:11:06 Doctor Ann Ly, board certified 00:00:11:06 - 00:00:12:21 UCI Health Neurologist 00:00:12:21 - 00:00:14:20 who specializes in the diagnosis 00:00:14:20 - 00:00:16:19 and treatment of movement disorders 00:00:16:19 - 00:00:18:07 such as Parkinson's disease, 00:00:18:07 - 00:00:21:07 ataxia, tremor syndromes and dystonia. 00:00:21:15 - 00:00:22:13 Doctor Ly, welcome. 00:00:22:13 - 00:00:23:21 Thank you so much for being here. 00:00:23:21 - 00:00:25:00 Thank you so much for having me. 00:00:25:00 - 00:00:25:17 You know, this is 00:00:25:17 - 00:00:26:21 this is a big deal for us 00:00:26:21 - 00:00:29:00 because I am the layperson. 00:00:29:00 - 00:00:30:09 You are the expert, and I'm here 00:00:30:09 - 00:00:31:23 to just be filled with your knowledge. 00:00:31:23 - 00:00:32:14 Oh my gosh. 00:00:32:14 - 00:00:34:08 Thank you. No Pressure. That is so kind. 00:00:34:08 - 00:00:36:13 So let's just start at the very, 00:00:36:13 - 00:00:37:11 very beginning. 00:00:37:11 - 00:00:40:09 What is an essential tremor? 00:00:40:09 - 00:00:42:04 How would you how and how common is it? 00:00:42:04 - 00:00:43:21 Like, just explain that to us. 00:00:43:21 - 00:00:44:03 Well, 00:00:44:03 - 00:00:45:21 thank you for throwing an easy question at me. 00:00:45:21 - 00:00:46:09 Yeah, sure. 00:00:47:21 - 00:00:48:22 So let me kind of 00:00:48:22 - 00:00:50:08 put my professor hat on. Please. 00:00:50:08 - 00:00:51:02 And tell you a little bit 00:00:51:02 - 00:00:52:08 about essential tremor. 00:00:52:08 - 00:00:54:05 So it's actually one of the most common 00:00:54:05 - 00:00:56:11 movement disorders that we see in clinic. 00:00:56:11 - 00:00:58:19 So I would say in the general population, 00:00:58:19 - 00:01:01:08 you see it about 1 to 2% of the time. 00:01:01:08 - 00:01:02:08 And if you look at patients 00:01:02:08 - 00:01:05:09 above the age of 65, it goes up to about 6%. 00:01:05:09 - 00:01:06:05 So it's quite prevalent. 00:01:06:05 - 00:01:06:19 Really? 00:01:06:19 - 00:01:09:18 It's its own primary neurologic disorder. 00:01:09:18 - 00:01:12:00 So we actually don't commonly see 00:01:12:00 - 00:01:13:05 it being associated 00:01:13:05 - 00:01:15:21 with any other neurologic conditions. 00:01:15:21 - 00:01:18:01 So it's its own standalone. 00:01:18:01 - 00:01:19:19 So the basis of diagnosing it 00:01:19:19 - 00:01:21:20 is that the patient is usually 00:01:21:20 - 00:01:22:18 you know, complaining 00:01:22:18 - 00:01:25:01 of brachial onset of tremor saying 00:01:25:01 - 00:01:27:06 meaning both arms are affected. 00:01:27:06 - 00:01:29:07 Usually, within the first three years of each other. 00:01:29:07 - 00:01:31:00 And they say that it's very disabling, 00:01:31:00 - 00:01:32:06 especially with 00:01:32:06 - 00:01:34:11 sustained postures or different actions. 00:01:34:11 - 00:01:36:08 So would you say this is more like 00:01:36:08 - 00:01:38:10 when people notice their hands are shaking? 00:01:38:10 - 00:01:39:21 Or how does it manifest it 00:01:39:21 - 00:01:40:13 when people are like, 00:01:40:13 - 00:01:41:19 oh, I should go see somebody? 00:01:41:19 - 00:01:42:01 Yeah. 00:01:42:01 - 00:01:43:19 So the most common complaint is, 00:01:43:19 - 00:01:45:10 hey, I'm trying to eat something 00:01:45:10 - 00:01:47:07 and my hands are shaking. Okay. 00:01:47:07 - 00:01:49:12 or my handwriting is not the same anymore. 00:01:49:12 - 00:01:50:19 And this is kind of the most common 00:01:50:19 - 00:01:53:04 first complaint that we hear. 00:01:53:04 - 00:01:55:13 But essential tremor goes beyond the arms. 00:01:55:13 - 00:01:56:02 We have seen 00:01:56:02 - 00:01:57:18 it affect people in the legs 00:01:57:18 - 00:01:58:17 as well as their voice 00:01:58:17 - 00:02:00:03 and their neck as well. 00:02:00:03 - 00:02:01:22 And then in a good portion of the patients, 00:02:01:22 - 00:02:03:05 it runs in the family. 00:02:03:05 - 00:02:05:22 Really, so this is this is not a fluke. 00:02:05:22 - 00:02:07:08 This is usually a genetic 00:02:07:08 - 00:02:08:12 has a genetic component. 00:02:08:12 - 00:02:09:22 It has some sort of hereditary 00:02:09:22 - 00:02:10:18 component to it. 00:02:10:18 - 00:02:12:22 That's sort of the basis 00:02:12:22 - 00:02:13:19 of what you cover. 00:02:13:19 - 00:02:16:17 And I'm sure the treatments are 00:02:16:17 - 00:02:19:08 I would imagine vast because this is a 00:02:19:08 - 00:02:20:20 there's there's just a lot going on 00:02:20:20 - 00:02:21:07 and it 00:02:21:07 - 00:02:22:04 affects a lot of 00:02:22:04 - 00:02:23:04 different parts of the body. 00:02:23:04 - 00:02:26:04 But what kind of treatments do you 00:02:26:06 - 00:02:27:10 do you typically see, 00:02:27:10 - 00:02:28:12 do you typically recommend 00:02:28:12 - 00:02:29:16 or is there a typical 00:02:29:16 - 00:02:31:00 when it comes to something like this. 00:02:31:00 - 00:02:31:08 Yeah. 00:02:31:08 - 00:02:32:16 So it's quite a wide 00:02:32:16 - 00:02:34:10 array of treatment modalities. 00:02:34:10 - 00:02:35:15 Yes, that’s what I figured. 00:02:35:15 - 00:02:37:06 The first line is pills, right? 00:02:37:06 - 00:02:37:15 Sure. 00:02:37:15 - 00:02:40:12 Easy easy to give to patients. 00:02:40:12 - 00:02:40:19 There's a 00:02:40:19 - 00:02:42:02 quite a few that are FDA 00:02:42:02 - 00:02:44:10 approved for essential tremors. 00:02:44:10 - 00:02:45:14 One is called propranolol 00:02:45:14 - 00:02:46:22 and the other one is called primodone, 00:02:46:22 - 00:02:48:19 which are usually our first go to, 00:02:48:19 - 00:02:49:05 which could be 00:02:49:05 - 00:02:50:12 a little confusing for patients 00:02:50:12 - 00:02:52:07 because they sound kind of similar. Right. 00:02:52:07 - 00:02:53:08 They're both started with PR, 00:02:54:08 - 00:02:55:02 but they do 00:02:55:02 - 00:02:56:08 require a slow up 00:02:56:08 - 00:02:58:09 titration of the medication. 00:02:58:09 - 00:02:59:16 So the patients, 00:02:59:16 - 00:03:00:05 you know, 00:03:00:05 - 00:03:01:08 have to stick with it 00:03:01:08 - 00:03:02:18 and they may not feel benefit 00:03:02:18 - 00:03:04:08 in the very first couple doses. 00:03:04:08 - 00:03:05:13 So they have to slowly, 00:03:05:13 - 00:03:06:23 gradually increase the dosage 00:03:06:23 - 00:03:08:13 until they get therapeutic benefit. 00:03:08:13 - 00:03:10:22 And usually how long does that take? 00:03:10:22 - 00:03:12:09 Usually within a couple of weeks. 00:03:12:09 - 00:03:14:05 But I would say most of the clinical trials 00:03:14:05 - 00:03:15:08 have shown that they have 00:03:15:08 - 00:03:17:09 about a 50% reduction in tremors. 00:03:17:09 - 00:03:18:03 Oh wow. 00:03:18:03 - 00:03:19:12 So it's not usually complete. 00:03:19:12 - 00:03:20:16 Okay. 00:03:20:16 - 00:03:21:16 And then on top of that, you know, 00:03:21:16 - 00:03:22:17 they come with their own side 00:03:22:17 - 00:03:23:16 effect profile. 00:03:23:16 - 00:03:24:16 So some patients 00:03:24:16 - 00:03:27:05 may complain of some nausea, some dizziness, 00:03:27:05 - 00:03:28:23 and some patients are just not candidates 00:03:28:23 - 00:03:31:00 because they have liver issues 00:03:31:00 - 00:03:32:22 or cardiac issues or even asthma. 00:03:32:22 - 00:03:34:00 That would kind of exclude them 00:03:34:00 - 00:03:34:15 from the treatment. 00:03:34:15 - 00:03:35:22 Well, and I would also imagine 00:03:35:22 - 00:03:37:08 if because, you know, guilty 00:03:37:08 - 00:03:38:08 when it comes to some things, 00:03:38:08 - 00:03:40:22 it's like, look, I have side effects. 00:03:40:22 - 00:03:42:00 It's been a couple of weeks. 00:03:42:00 - 00:03:42:21 I'm not seeing any improvement. 00:03:42:21 - 00:03:44:04 I'm just not going to do it anymore. 00:03:44:04 - 00:03:44:14 Yes. 00:03:44:14 - 00:03:45:18 They don't know how close they are 00:03:45:18 - 00:03:46:15 to getting the results 00:03:46:15 - 00:03:47:10 that they're hoping for. 00:03:47:10 - 00:03:47:17 Yes. 00:03:47:17 - 00:03:48:02 And, you know, 00:03:48:02 - 00:03:49:03 sometimes the side effects 00:03:49:03 - 00:03:50:02 are more debilitating 00:03:50:02 - 00:03:51:04 than the tremors themselves. 00:03:51:04 - 00:03:52:14 So I completely understand 00:03:52:14 - 00:03:53:16 when our patients don't feel 00:03:53:16 - 00:03:54:21 like they can continue 00:03:54:21 - 00:03:56:05 with these modalities. 00:03:56:05 - 00:03:56:20 Right. 00:03:56:20 - 00:03:58:13 But there are other modalities 00:03:58:13 - 00:03:59:14 that have been explored. 00:03:59:14 - 00:04:01:02 So patients have worked 00:04:01:02 - 00:04:02:21 with occupational therapy, 00:04:02:21 - 00:04:03:13 to help 00:04:03:13 - 00:04:05:17 with different compensatory mechanisms 00:04:05:17 - 00:04:07:05 or different weighted tools 00:04:07:05 - 00:04:08:22 that can help suppress the tremors. 00:04:08:22 - 00:04:09:07 Oh. 00:04:09:07 - 00:04:09:17 Yeah 00:04:09:17 - 00:04:10:11 Interesting. Okay. 00:04:10:11 - 00:04:12:22 So this is where I start asking you 00:04:12:22 - 00:04:14:20 questions like I'm a kindergartner. 00:04:14:20 - 00:04:16:11 So when you talk about 00:04:16:11 - 00:04:18:11 this is a neurological issue. 00:04:18:11 - 00:04:20:07 But then you can work 00:04:20:07 - 00:04:21:14 with an occupational therapist 00:04:21:14 - 00:04:23:07 and say let's say it's in our hands. 00:04:23:07 - 00:04:24:23 So what benefit 00:04:24:23 - 00:04:25:23 would I really get from that, 00:04:25:23 - 00:04:28:05 if it's coming from my brain. 00:04:28:05 - 00:04:28:12 Yeah. 00:04:28:12 - 00:04:30:00 So you know the basis 00:04:30:00 - 00:04:31:17 let me kind of backtrack a little bit. 00:04:31:17 - 00:04:32:08 Please. 00:04:32:08 - 00:04:34:07 The basis of essential tremor 00:04:34:07 - 00:04:35:23 is that there are these 00:04:35:23 - 00:04:38:05 abnormal pulsatile circuits 00:04:38:05 - 00:04:40:00 that are coming from our balance center 00:04:40:00 - 00:04:41:15 Pulsatile circuits. Yeah. 00:04:41:15 - 00:04:43:11 Yeah. So they're coming from the cerebellum. 00:04:43:11 - 00:04:44:11 They're kind of going straight 00:04:44:11 - 00:04:45:10 to this area of our brain 00:04:45:10 - 00:04:46:10 called the thalamus, 00:04:46:10 - 00:04:47:21 which is responsible for fine 00:04:47:21 - 00:04:49:07 motor movement control. 00:04:49:07 - 00:04:51:03 And so due to these abnormal circuits 00:04:51:03 - 00:04:52:10 that are being pulsed, 00:04:52:10 - 00:04:54:06 we get these oscillatory movements 00:04:54:06 - 00:04:55:14 as a result. 00:04:55:14 - 00:04:58:15 So although it is from a central generator 00:04:58:16 - 00:05:00:20 sometimes having something periphery 00:05:00:20 - 00:05:01:23 in the periphery 00:05:01:23 - 00:05:04:05 suppressing it, that can just help calm 00:05:04:05 - 00:05:05:21 calm, calm it down to some extent. 00:05:05:21 - 00:05:07:04 So for example, 00:05:07:04 - 00:05:08:08 would that be like me 00:05:08:08 - 00:05:10:08 having a stress ball in my hand 00:05:10:08 - 00:05:12:00 or something to do with my hand 00:05:12:00 - 00:05:13:03 while this is happening? 00:05:13:03 - 00:05:15:00 Or this is something that really does 00:05:15:00 - 00:05:17:12 cut down on the tremors themselves? 00:05:17:12 - 00:05:19:02 I think it's more of 00:05:19:02 - 00:05:21:09 if you think of earthquake technology. 00:05:21:09 - 00:05:22:01 Sure. 00:05:22:01 - 00:05:24:18 So that, so as the earthquake 00:05:24:18 - 00:05:26:14 happens, it kind of oscillates. 00:05:26:14 - 00:05:28:06 And then the buildings are equipped 00:05:28:06 - 00:05:30:13 with basically anti-oscillatory 00:05:30:13 - 00:05:31:21 gyroscopic technology. 00:05:31:21 - 00:05:32:15 Right. 00:05:32:15 - 00:05:34:16 So sometimes the weighted material 00:05:34:16 - 00:05:36:23 or certain tools can help with that. 00:05:36:23 - 00:05:37:09 Oh... 00:05:37:09 - 00:05:39:16 That’s actually another segue to 00:05:39:16 - 00:05:40:23 other treatment modalities 00:05:40:23 - 00:05:42:11 as there are biotech companies 00:05:42:11 - 00:05:44:14 who have worked on different gloves, 00:05:44:14 - 00:05:46:19 who have that kind of gyroscopic technology 00:05:46:19 - 00:05:47:06 Wow. 00:05:47:06 - 00:05:49:01 or some sort of nerve stimulator 00:05:49:01 - 00:05:51:02 in the wrist to just calm down the tremor. 00:05:51:02 - 00:05:52:22 We are living in the future. 00:05:52:22 - 00:05:53:06 Yeah. 00:05:53:06 - 00:05:54:08 I mean, it's so funny 00:05:54:08 - 00:05:56:00 whenever I see movies of, like, 00:05:56:00 - 00:05:57:08 old hospitals, like, 00:05:57:08 - 00:05:59:13 you know, The Godfather, I'm just like, 00:05:59:13 - 00:06:02:10 thank the Lord that we live now when I do. 00:06:02:10 - 00:06:03:20 And we have all of this 00:06:03:20 - 00:06:04:21 incredible technology. 00:06:04:21 - 00:06:06:12 And that makes me curious 00:06:06:12 - 00:06:08:22 about the MRI guided stuff. 00:06:08:22 - 00:06:10:15 Now, when I think of an MRI, 00:06:10:15 - 00:06:11:17 I think of like, 00:06:11:17 - 00:06:13:11 just, you know, in layman's like, 00:06:13:11 - 00:06:13:23 you know, oh, 00:06:13:23 - 00:06:15:09 I'll put all the... they’ll slide me in 00:06:15:09 - 00:06:16:06 and they'll figure out what's wrong. 00:06:16:06 - 00:06:17:13 And they slide me out and I go home. 00:06:17:13 - 00:06:19:23 But it does so much more. Right. 00:06:19:23 - 00:06:21:02 Can you tell me about that? 00:06:21:02 - 00:06:22:21 Yeah. So now we're going into the realm 00:06:22:21 - 00:06:24:23 of what we call advanced therapies. 00:06:24:23 - 00:06:25:22 So what I just told 00:06:25:22 - 00:06:27:21 you were all kind of first-line. 00:06:27:21 - 00:06:28:14 Right. The pills... 00:06:28:14 - 00:06:29:19 the adjunctive therapies 00:06:29:19 - 00:06:30:14 Right. 00:06:30:14 - 00:06:32:10 And so then now we move to the realm 00:06:32:10 - 00:06:33:10 of advanced therapies. 00:06:33:10 - 00:06:33:20 Okay. 00:06:33:20 - 00:06:34:13 There are two. 00:06:34:13 - 00:06:36:09 So the first one is deep brain stimulation. 00:06:36:09 - 00:06:37:03 And that has been around 00:06:37:03 - 00:06:38:13 for for longer than this 00:06:38:13 - 00:06:40:00 MRI guided focused ultrasound. 00:06:40:00 - 00:06:42:00 So giving you a little bit about that one first. 00:06:42:00 - 00:06:42:12 Please. 00:06:42:12 - 00:06:43:00 DBS. 00:06:43:00 - 00:06:43:12 Yes. 00:06:43:12 - 00:06:43:23 You know, starts 00:06:43:23 - 00:06:45:06 with a battery in the chest. 00:06:45:06 - 00:06:45:18 Okay. 00:06:45:18 - 00:06:46:13 So, it's 00:06:46:13 - 00:06:48:13 kind of like a pacemaker for your brain. 00:06:48:13 - 00:06:49:13 Wow. 00:06:49:13 - 00:06:51:08 It delivers electrical currents 00:06:51:08 - 00:06:52:15 to this deep part of the brain 00:06:52:15 - 00:06:53:19 called the thalamus that we talked 00:06:53:19 - 00:06:55:17 about where the circuits are affected. 00:06:55:17 - 00:06:56:20 And by doing so 00:06:56:20 - 00:06:58:14 these currents can help control 00:06:58:14 - 00:07:00:15 this abnormal circuitry. 00:07:00:15 - 00:07:03:04 But that requires implantable hardware. 00:07:03:04 - 00:07:04:14 And so now we move on 00:07:04:14 - 00:07:06:12 to another advanced therapy 00:07:06:12 - 00:07:08:14 that has been around for a while, 00:07:08:14 - 00:07:10:07 but not as long as DBS, called 00:07:10:07 - 00:07:12:04 MRI guided focused ultrasound. 00:07:12:04 - 00:07:12:16 I'm going to give you 00:07:12:16 - 00:07:13:14 a little bit of history. 00:07:13:14 - 00:07:16:09 I'm ready I want it give it to me. 00:07:16:09 - 00:07:17:12 So for a while 00:07:17:12 - 00:07:19:11 they had studied open brain surgery 00:07:19:11 - 00:07:21:08 using radiofrequency ablation. 00:07:21:08 - 00:07:22:14 So they would actually do 00:07:22:14 - 00:07:25:20 open brain surgery and use radiofrequency 00:07:26:02 - 00:07:28:01 waves to cause a lesion 00:07:28:01 - 00:07:29:17 in the brain in the circuit. 00:07:29:17 - 00:07:31:02 But then scientists are thinking, 00:07:31:02 - 00:07:32:13 why do we need to open up the brain? 00:07:32:13 - 00:07:33:12 There has to be a better way. 00:07:33:12 - 00:07:35:00 Right. We're talking about radio waves. 00:07:35:00 - 00:07:35:19 We should be able to 00:07:35:19 - 00:07:37:06 just leave the skull intact. 00:07:37:06 - 00:07:38:09 Yeah, yeah. 00:07:38:09 - 00:07:38:23 So, 00:07:38:23 - 00:07:40:12 they found out that they could use 00:07:40:12 - 00:07:42:13 ultrasonic waves instead. 00:07:42:13 - 00:07:44:08 And then with in conjunction 00:07:44:08 - 00:07:45:15 with an MRI machine, 00:07:45:15 - 00:07:48:23 they're able to really localize and converge 00:07:48:23 - 00:07:49:22 very specific 00:07:49:22 - 00:07:50:22 ultrasonic waves 00:07:50:22 - 00:07:53:03 to a specific part of the brain. 00:07:53:03 - 00:07:55:19 And that causes a lesioning effect 00:07:55:19 - 00:07:57:19 and it ablates that part 00:07:57:19 - 00:07:58:17 that could be causing 00:07:58:17 - 00:07:59:18 the abnormal circuitry. 00:07:59:18 - 00:08:02:18 Can I ask a question? What's an ablation? 00:08:02:23 - 00:08:05:01 An ablation, okay. So... 00:08:05:01 - 00:08:06:01 Told ya. 00:08:06:01 - 00:08:07:00 It's basically 00:08:07:00 - 00:08:09:00 when you cause a permanent lesion. 00:08:09:00 - 00:08:09:16 Okay. 00:08:09:16 - 00:08:10:05 Somewhere. 00:08:10:05 - 00:08:12:21 So I think a really good parallel 00:08:12:21 - 00:08:14:19 would be in the cardiology world. 00:08:14:19 - 00:08:15:22 Okay. 00:08:15:22 - 00:08:17:01 It's different technology, 00:08:17:01 - 00:08:18:08 but a lot of patients 00:08:18:08 - 00:08:19:10 in the cardiology world, 00:08:19:10 - 00:08:20:12 they have arrhythmias. 00:08:20:12 - 00:08:21:09 So our specialists 00:08:21:09 - 00:08:23:17 who focus on electrophysiology 00:08:23:17 - 00:08:26:01 and they ablate the abnormal circuitry 00:08:26:01 - 00:08:27:19 in somebody who has an arrhythmia. 00:08:27:19 - 00:08:28:07 Okay. 00:08:28:07 - 00:08:29:14 So similarly we're 00:08:29:14 - 00:08:30:23 using a different technology, 00:08:30:23 - 00:08:32:16 but to also cause an ablation 00:08:32:16 - 00:08:35:05 or a lesioning effect in that area. 00:08:35:05 - 00:08:36:17 So walk me through it 00:08:36:17 - 00:08:38:15 because this is so much harder 00:08:38:15 - 00:08:39:17 for me to wrap my head around. 00:08:39:17 - 00:08:40:14 When you're 00:08:40:14 - 00:08:41:15 there is like you said, 00:08:41:15 - 00:08:43:00 there's hardware, hardware, hardware. 00:08:43:00 - 00:08:45:06 And now we're just like, send the waves. 00:08:45:06 - 00:08:46:23 So how do we do that? 00:08:46:23 - 00:08:48:06 And how do we know it's working? 00:08:48:06 - 00:08:48:21 I mean, it's 00:08:48:21 - 00:08:50:12 I feel like this is like witchcraft. 00:08:50:12 - 00:08:52:19 Like, how do we know it's working? 00:08:52:19 - 00:08:53:09 Yeah. So. 00:08:53:09 - 00:08:53:23 Well, of course, 00:08:53:23 - 00:08:54:03 you know, 00:08:54:03 - 00:08:55:05 before we even start 00:08:55:05 - 00:08:56:11 to even talk about that, 00:08:56:11 - 00:08:58:15 we usually have a very intense 00:08:58:15 - 00:08:59:14 screening process. 00:08:59:14 - 00:09:00:01 Okay. 00:09:00:01 - 00:09:01:12 We walk our patients through, 00:09:01:12 - 00:09:04:01 you know, their different co-morbidities, 00:09:04:01 - 00:09:05:21 you know, things that have been affected 00:09:05:21 - 00:09:07:23 from the tremors, what their goals are, 00:09:07:23 - 00:09:10:14 what their lifestyle looks like. Right? 00:09:10:14 - 00:09:11:15 Because certain lifestyles 00:09:11:15 - 00:09:12:17 may not be fitting for one 00:09:12:17 - 00:09:14:11 treatment modality versus the other. 00:09:14:11 - 00:09:15:11 Oh yeah. 00:09:15:11 - 00:09:17:06 So if they are a good candidate 00:09:17:06 - 00:09:20:06 for a focus ultrasound ablation, then they 00:09:20:12 - 00:09:22:16 it is a same day procedure. 00:09:22:16 - 00:09:23:14 Unbelievable. 00:09:23:14 - 00:09:24:19 Our surgical team 00:09:24:19 - 00:09:26:13 walks you through the whole thing 00:09:26:13 - 00:09:29:19 and you lie down with this really nice, cool 00:09:29:19 - 00:09:32:19 looking helmet to keep your head in place. 00:09:33:04 - 00:09:35:22 And the patient lies down in an MRI machine. 00:09:35:22 - 00:09:38:06 And the MRI basically helps 00:09:38:06 - 00:09:39:04 us localize 00:09:39:04 - 00:09:42:03 where to pulse these ultrasonic waves. 00:09:42:03 - 00:09:43:08 And then the neurosurgeon 00:09:43:08 - 00:09:45:06 slowly raises the temperature 00:09:45:06 - 00:09:46:19 to that exact spot. 00:09:46:19 - 00:09:49:01 Wow. And is the patient awake? 00:09:49:01 - 00:09:50:11 They're awake throughout the whole thing. 00:09:50:11 - 00:09:51:21 There's no anesthesia. 00:09:51:21 - 00:09:53:19 And I would say the most rewarding part 00:09:53:19 - 00:09:54:11 for the patient 00:09:54:11 - 00:09:55:10 is that we slowly 00:09:55:10 - 00:09:57:03 raise the temperature, and in real time, 00:09:57:03 - 00:09:59:14 the patient will have to draw a spiral, 00:09:59:14 - 00:10:00:17 and they can compare it to what 00:10:00:17 - 00:10:02:06 the spirals look like before. 00:10:02:06 - 00:10:03:05 Wow. 00:10:03:05 - 00:10:04:12 And in real time 00:10:04:12 - 00:10:07:22 they'll see certain tremors kind of improve. 00:10:08:00 - 00:10:08:21 That's incredible. 00:10:08:21 - 00:10:10:21 And once only once we see 00:10:10:21 - 00:10:11:23 therapeutic benefit 00:10:11:23 - 00:10:13:19 do we cause a permanent lesion. 00:10:13:19 - 00:10:14:09 Okay. 00:10:14:09 - 00:10:15:21 So it's a very stepwise approach. 00:10:15:21 - 00:10:18:14 And how long does this whole process take usually? 00:10:18:14 - 00:10:19:22 I would say the process 00:10:19:22 - 00:10:21:07 of you being... lying down. 00:10:21:07 - 00:10:21:19 Yes. 00:10:21:19 - 00:10:22:17 You know, with the helmet... 00:10:22:17 - 00:10:24:03 The uncomfortable stuff. 00:10:24:03 - 00:10:26:06 It's about two hours okay. 00:10:26:06 - 00:10:27:08 Sometimes up to three. 00:10:27:08 - 00:10:29:10 Because if we are not at a good location, 00:10:29:10 - 00:10:30:23 we always readjust. 00:10:30:23 - 00:10:31:14 Got it. 00:10:31:14 - 00:10:33:10 So that could take a couple tries. 00:10:33:10 - 00:10:34:17 But after that, the patient's 00:10:34:17 - 00:10:35:21 monitored for a couple hours 00:10:35:21 - 00:10:37:03 and they usually go home the same day. 00:10:37:03 - 00:10:38:03 And I would imagine 00:10:38:03 - 00:10:39:10 you've seen tears 00:10:39:10 - 00:10:42:02 and seen shock on people's faces. 00:10:42:02 - 00:10:43:09 Yes, I would say my 00:10:43:09 - 00:10:44:23 I when this first came out, 00:10:44:23 - 00:10:46:05 I think this was a while ago 00:10:46:05 - 00:10:47:08 and I was still in training, 00:10:47:08 - 00:10:48:07 and I remember seeing one 00:10:48:07 - 00:10:49:22 of my patients afterwards, 00:10:49:22 - 00:10:51:14 and he was so excited to show me 00:10:51:14 - 00:10:52:23 that he could sign his name. 00:10:52:23 - 00:10:53:18 Oh. 00:10:54:13 - 00:10:55:23 my favorite part is that he told me 00:10:55:23 - 00:10:58:00 he went out and bought a checkbook 00:10:58:00 - 00:10:59:19 So that he could sign more checks. 00:10:59:19 - 00:11:01:22 Lots of reasons to sign his name. 00:11:01:22 - 00:11:02:19 Yes, and I was just thinking, 00:11:02:19 - 00:11:04:06 did I fix one problem? 00:11:04:06 - 00:11:06:15 And create another one? 00:11:06:15 - 00:11:08:02 Luckily, he does not have a shopping addiction. 00:11:08:02 - 00:11:08:19 I was going to say, 00:11:08:19 - 00:11:10:10 he didn't go on a spending spree. 00:11:10:10 - 00:11:12:14 We're all good. That's incredible. 00:11:12:14 - 00:11:14:22 So what else is it approved for? 00:11:14:22 - 00:11:16:16 What else can we use this for? 00:11:16:16 - 00:11:17:04 As you know, 00:11:17:04 - 00:11:20:02 this is very a very innovative technology. 00:11:20:02 - 00:11:20:12 Sure. 00:11:20:12 - 00:11:21:08 So around this, 00:11:21:08 - 00:11:23:01 a couple years after this was approved, 00:11:23:01 - 00:11:24:14 for essential tremor, 00:11:24:14 - 00:11:25:23 it was also approved 00:11:25:23 - 00:11:27:06 for tremor predominant 00:11:27:06 - 00:11:28:15 Parkinson's disease. 00:11:28:15 - 00:11:29:20 Okay. 00:11:29:20 - 00:11:30:22 And then more recently 00:11:30:22 - 00:11:32:15 they have started to approve 00:11:32:15 - 00:11:34:09 for its use for other motor 00:11:34:09 - 00:11:36:04 symptoms in Parkinson's, 00:11:36:04 - 00:11:37:06 including rigidity 00:11:37:06 - 00:11:39:12 and what we call bradykinesia 00:11:39:12 - 00:11:40:20 slowness and movement. 00:11:40:20 - 00:11:41:20 Unbelievable. 00:11:41:20 - 00:11:43:04 Beyond that I would say that 00:11:44:05 - 00:11:45:16 the possibilities are endless. 00:11:45:16 - 00:11:46:13 Right. 00:11:46:13 - 00:11:48:06 There has been clinical trials 00:11:48:06 - 00:11:50:15 that had looked at focused ultrasound 00:11:50:15 - 00:11:52:00 in focal limb dystonia 00:11:52:00 - 00:11:52:12 in patients 00:11:52:12 - 00:11:54:11 who are musicians or... 00:11:54:11 - 00:11:56:11 Sorry, focal limb dystonia. 00:11:56:11 - 00:11:57:23 Is that like, 00:11:57:23 - 00:12:00:05 like a paralysis of the hand or what is that? 00:12:00:05 - 00:12:02:05 It's an abnormal posturing of the hand. 00:12:02:05 - 00:12:02:19 Okay. 00:12:02:19 - 00:12:04:09 Usually, if it's task 00:12:04:09 - 00:12:06:10 specific, it's a it's associated 00:12:06:10 - 00:12:07:05 with patients 00:12:07:05 - 00:12:08:12 who have had some sort 00:12:08:12 - 00:12:10:08 of occupational overuse in that limb. 00:12:10:08 - 00:12:11:06 So this could be somebody 00:12:11:06 - 00:12:12:08 with a writer's cramp. 00:12:12:08 - 00:12:13:03 Oh my goodness. 00:12:13:03 - 00:12:14:20 I don't think we write as much nowadays. 00:12:14:20 - 00:12:17:03 No, but I've been known to wear one of those 00:12:17:03 - 00:12:18:15 super cool braces with, 00:12:18:15 - 00:12:20:04 you know, when I've done the mouse 00:12:20:04 - 00:12:21:06 and I'm working too much. 00:12:21:06 - 00:12:22:18 I mean, this this really, like you said, 00:12:22:18 - 00:12:23:10 it could be endless. 00:12:23:10 - 00:12:23:16 But, 00:12:23:16 - 00:12:24:00 Yes. 00:12:24:00 - 00:12:25:10 focusing on the stuff that's, like, 00:12:25:10 - 00:12:27:02 really critical. 00:12:27:02 - 00:12:28:05 You know, the Parkinson's 00:12:28:05 - 00:12:29:18 work, the essential tremor work. 00:12:29:18 - 00:12:31:15 I don't know how this ties 00:12:31:15 - 00:12:32:08 in, so hopefully 00:12:32:08 - 00:12:35:08 you can tell me or guide me, but, 00:12:35:08 - 00:12:37:19 when I was growing up, my mom, her 00:12:37:19 - 00:12:39:06 best friend had dystonia, 00:12:39:06 - 00:12:41:02 which I had never heard of. 00:12:41:02 - 00:12:42:08 I didn't know what it was. 00:12:42:08 - 00:12:45:06 But as I got older and found it, 00:12:45:06 - 00:12:46:23 that it was more debilitating every 00:12:46:23 - 00:12:49:03 day for her between walking, 00:12:50:03 - 00:12:52:06 very one sidedly almost dragging her 00:12:52:06 - 00:12:55:05 leg, her her hands, like you said, 00:12:55:05 - 00:12:56:10 with the fancy word... 00:12:56:10 - 00:12:57:08 Oh, posturing. 00:12:57:08 - 00:12:58:17 Thank you. Yeah. 00:12:58:17 - 00:13:01:07 Her hands just unable to sort of unclench, 00:13:01:07 - 00:13:04:06 and her speech incredibly impacted. 00:13:04:12 - 00:13:06:09 And it's so incredible 00:13:06:09 - 00:13:08:00 to know that we have things like that 00:13:08:00 - 00:13:08:17 that we can do today. 00:13:08:17 - 00:13:09:16 It makes me choked up a little 00:13:09:16 - 00:13:09:22 to think 00:13:09:22 - 00:13:11:09 that she didn't have a chance 00:13:11:09 - 00:13:13:09 to to experience something like this. 00:13:13:09 - 00:13:14:07 So is this something 00:13:14:07 - 00:13:16:05 that also helps with dystonia? 00:13:16:05 - 00:13:17:03 You are hoping so 00:13:17:03 - 00:13:18:22 I would say the University of Maryland 00:13:18:22 - 00:13:20:05 had been studying it for a while 00:13:20:05 - 00:13:21:03 when I was in training, 00:13:21:03 - 00:13:21:19 and it had shown 00:13:21:19 - 00:13:22:17 some promising results. 00:13:22:17 - 00:13:23:10 Oh wow. 00:13:23:10 - 00:13:25:15 Especially in focal limb dystonia. 00:13:25:15 - 00:13:27:04 I have seen some clinical trials 00:13:27:04 - 00:13:28:07 that are ongoing 00:13:28:07 - 00:13:31:00 looking at it for dyskinetic cerebral palsy. 00:13:31:00 - 00:13:32:13 So all these unwanted movements 00:13:32:13 - 00:13:34:19 in patients with cerebral palsy, 00:13:34:19 - 00:13:35:20 we have also seen it 00:13:35:20 - 00:13:37:22 trying to be used in clinical trials 00:13:37:22 - 00:13:39:15 to investigate its utility 00:13:39:15 - 00:13:40:19 in what we call 00:13:40:19 - 00:13:42:10 refractory movement disorders. 00:13:42:10 - 00:13:43:05 What is that? 00:13:43:05 - 00:13:44:05 So any movement 00:13:44:05 - 00:13:46:15 disorders, any movements that are unwanted 00:13:46:15 - 00:13:48:01 and do not respond to treatment. 00:13:48:01 - 00:13:49:03 So would this be. 00:13:49:03 - 00:13:49:18 And again 00:13:49:18 - 00:13:51:13 talking completely out of my depth, 00:13:51:13 - 00:13:52:07 would this be something 00:13:52:07 - 00:13:54:07 that, could treat Tourette's? 00:13:54:07 - 00:13:54:16 Yes. 00:13:54:16 - 00:13:55:20 It is actually 00:13:55:20 - 00:13:58:10 Yes, what a win! Okay. 00:13:58:10 - 00:13:59:09 It is being studied. 00:13:59:09 - 00:14:00:11 It is one of the, 00:14:00:11 - 00:14:02:01 refractory movement disorders 00:14:02:01 - 00:14:03:18 that are kind of in the clinical trial 00:14:03:18 - 00:14:06:02 bundle of hoping to be investigated. 00:14:06:02 - 00:14:09:05 Interesting. So when you say any unwanted movement 00:14:09:05 - 00:14:10:19 that that's exactly what you mean. 00:14:10:19 - 00:14:13:13 Involuntary hyperkinetic movements. 00:14:13:13 - 00:14:14:10 Wow. 00:14:14:10 - 00:14:16:23 So where are we like personally, 00:14:16:23 - 00:14:18:00 how many times 00:14:18:00 - 00:14:19:04 have you seen someone 00:14:19:04 - 00:14:21:01 or how many times have you, 00:14:21:01 - 00:14:24:08 been sort of in charge of the MRI experience 00:14:24:08 - 00:14:25:04 for a patient? 00:14:25:04 - 00:14:25:13 Well, 00:14:25:13 - 00:14:26:19 you know, I'm proud to announce 00:14:26:19 - 00:14:28:12 that we just launched 00:14:28:12 - 00:14:30:20 our focused ultrasound program. 00:14:30:20 - 00:14:31:08 Yeah. 00:14:31:08 - 00:14:31:22 Recently. 00:14:32:06 - 00:14:32:20 So really, 00:14:32:20 - 00:14:34:19 we've only had one patient so far. 00:14:34:19 - 00:14:35:13 Oh, yay. 00:14:35:13 - 00:14:36:08 At UCI. 00:14:36:08 - 00:14:37:07 The gold standard. 00:14:37:07 - 00:14:38:12 Yes, with the one patient 00:14:38:12 - 00:14:40:13 has done incredibly well. 00:14:40:13 - 00:14:41:18 And we're so excited 00:14:41:18 - 00:14:42:22 to see them in the clinic 00:14:42:22 - 00:14:44:07 in the upcoming weeks. 00:14:44:07 - 00:14:45:21 What I think is really funny 00:14:45:21 - 00:14:47:04 is that we see these patients 00:14:47:04 - 00:14:48:20 so often before their surgery... 00:14:48:20 - 00:14:49:06 Yeah. 00:14:49:06 - 00:14:51:04 And then after the procedure, 00:14:51:04 - 00:14:51:21 it's bittersweet 00:14:51:21 - 00:14:53:10 because we actually might not see them 00:14:53:10 - 00:14:54:08 as often anymore. 00:14:54:08 - 00:14:55:10 But no news is good news 00:14:55:10 - 00:14:56:06 because they’re not coming back. 00:14:56:06 - 00:14:58:01 Exactly. They may they may not need us as much 00:14:58:01 - 00:14:58:10 Yeah. 00:14:58:10 - 00:14:59:01 for quite a while. 00:14:59:01 - 00:15:01:01 There are studies that have shown that 00:15:01:01 - 00:15:02:13 there are this durability 00:15:02:13 - 00:15:04:04 to this treatment for up to five years. 00:15:04:04 - 00:15:05:10 Okay, that was my next question. 00:15:05:10 - 00:15:07:00 So yeah, that's 00:15:07:00 - 00:15:07:21 what would you say 00:15:07:21 - 00:15:09:15 is a typical amount of time. 00:15:09:15 - 00:15:10:16 You said up to five years. 00:15:10:16 - 00:15:12:08 So do we split that in half. 00:15:12:08 - 00:15:14:07 Do we say we come back every couple years? 00:15:14:07 - 00:15:15:02 We don't know. 00:15:15:02 - 00:15:16:03 I think it's ongoing. 00:15:16:03 - 00:15:18:16 So the study said as of five years 00:15:18:16 - 00:15:19:15 that at the five year 00:15:19:15 - 00:15:23:11 mark, there are a very big chunk of patients 00:15:23:11 - 00:15:24:14 who have sustained benefit. 00:15:24:14 - 00:15:26:05 Unbelievable. 00:15:26:05 - 00:15:27:09 And when you talk about 00:15:27:09 - 00:15:30:09 like coming back to see you, what is... 00:15:30:15 - 00:15:31:19 I mean I know that there's, there's 00:15:31:19 - 00:15:32:21 a little bit of sort of, 00:15:32:21 - 00:15:34:13 you know, you're sitting still for two hours 00:15:34:13 - 00:15:35:18 and that's hard for any of us. 00:15:35:18 - 00:15:38:03 But in terms of a recovery time 00:15:38:03 - 00:15:39:00 from a process 00:15:39:00 - 00:15:39:22 like this, as opposed 00:15:39:22 - 00:15:42:17 to implanting something in your head 00:15:42:17 - 00:15:44:22 or taking pills that have side effects, 00:15:44:22 - 00:15:45:20 what would you consider 00:15:45:20 - 00:15:48:09 the recovery time for this to be? 00:15:48:09 - 00:15:50:12 So the procedure itself, you go 00:15:50:12 - 00:15:51:16 you go home the same day. 00:15:51:16 - 00:15:52:15 That is incredible. 00:15:52:15 - 00:15:55:03 Yeah. If you do have some transient side effects, 00:15:55:03 - 00:15:57:04 you know, this includes paresthesia. 00:15:57:04 - 00:15:58:03 So numbness, tingling 00:15:58:03 - 00:15:58:13 Right. 00:15:58:13 - 00:16:00:00 Any imbalance 00:16:00:00 - 00:16:01:22 those are usually those usually resolve 00:16:01:22 - 00:16:03:04 within the first couple of weeks. 00:16:03:04 - 00:16:04:06 Oh so is that 00:16:04:06 - 00:16:05:06 just kind of like your 00:16:05:06 - 00:16:06:05 your neurons 00:16:06:05 - 00:16:08:04 coming back online in a different way? 00:16:08:04 - 00:16:08:23 It's just everybody's 00:16:08:23 - 00:16:10:16 sort of finding their new path 00:16:10:16 - 00:16:12:08 now that they've been like sound waved. 00:16:12:08 - 00:16:14:11 It’s just the tissue activation? Okay. 00:16:14:11 - 00:16:15:19 There are local structures. 00:16:15:19 - 00:16:18:03 So they could transiently be affected 00:16:18:03 - 00:16:19:10 by the ultrasonic waves, 00:16:19:10 - 00:16:20:14 but they are not permanent. 00:16:20:14 - 00:16:22:13 Now, here's another kindergarten question. 00:16:22:13 - 00:16:24:14 How do you know that 00:16:24:14 - 00:16:26:01 you're in the right spot 00:16:26:01 - 00:16:27:06 when you're doing this? 00:16:27:06 - 00:16:30:13 So we have we know that this 00:16:30:13 - 00:16:32:17 where the spot is technically located 00:16:32:17 - 00:16:33:03 Okay. 00:16:33:03 - 00:16:34:13 based on that abnormal circuitry 00:16:34:13 - 00:16:35:17 that we talked about. 00:16:35:17 - 00:16:36:20 It's kind of the same for everyone. 00:16:36:20 - 00:16:37:20 It's it's usually the same. 00:16:37:20 - 00:16:38:14 ...spot. Okay. 00:16:38:14 - 00:16:41:09 And then we activate very small amounts 00:16:41:09 - 00:16:43:18 with that increased temperature that we talked about. 00:16:43:18 - 00:16:45:03 Just when you start to see the results. 00:16:45:03 - 00:16:46:21 And then we keep making it. 00:16:46:21 - 00:16:48:15 We make the circumference a little larger 00:16:48:15 - 00:16:50:14 and a little larger until we see benefit 00:16:50:14 - 00:16:53:02 and then we stop. So it's a very step wise. 00:16:53:02 - 00:16:54:07 And that's so interesting too 00:16:54:07 - 00:16:57:12 because it's like so like sci fi. 00:16:57:12 - 00:16:58:02 Amazing. 00:16:58:02 - 00:16:59:13 And then part of it is like, I don't know, 00:16:59:13 - 00:17:01:04 we go until we stop. 00:17:01:04 - 00:17:01:18 In a way... 00:17:01:18 - 00:17:02:21 It's like a trial and error. 00:17:02:21 - 00:17:03:19 But you know what you're doing. 00:17:03:19 - 00:17:04:20 We know exactly where we're going. 00:17:04:20 - 00:17:06:13 And that's what the MRI portion is for 00:17:06:13 - 00:17:07:12 That’s incredible. 00:17:07:12 - 00:17:08:15 is to guide us directly to that spot. 00:17:08:15 - 00:17:10:14 That is so unbelievable. 00:17:10:14 - 00:17:13:13 And and you said it's in the thalamus. 00:17:13:22 - 00:17:14:15 I'm guessing that's 00:17:14:15 - 00:17:16:08 a pretty hard spot to get to 00:17:16:08 - 00:17:17:16 if you're actually doing 00:17:17:16 - 00:17:19:08 like surgery on somebody. 00:17:19:08 - 00:17:20:22 You said it's like pretty deep. 00:17:20:22 - 00:17:22:13 Yes. The thalamus is quite deep. 00:17:22:13 - 00:17:23:18 It's part of this deep 00:17:23:18 - 00:17:25:19 part of the brain called the basal ganglia. 00:17:25:19 - 00:17:26:05 Okay. 00:17:26:05 - 00:17:27:16 And that whole part of your brain 00:17:27:16 - 00:17:28:22 is really responsible 00:17:28:22 - 00:17:30:18 for coordinating movements. 00:17:30:18 - 00:17:31:13 Okay. 00:17:31:13 - 00:17:33:15 So any abnormalities along this region 00:17:33:15 - 00:17:35:21 can cause unwanted movements. This... 00:17:35:21 - 00:17:37:22 Who performs this procedure? 00:17:37:22 - 00:17:39:13 Is this like, is this a neurologist? 00:17:39:13 - 00:17:41:13 Is this a neurosurgeon who's in charge 00:17:41:13 - 00:17:43:08 On the day of the procedure? 00:17:43:08 - 00:17:46:09 The person who does the procedure itself 00:17:46:11 - 00:17:47:17 is our neurosurgeon 00:17:47:17 - 00:17:50:04 who is very highly skilled. 00:17:50:04 - 00:17:51:10 And then afterwards 00:17:51:10 - 00:17:54:10 the patients follow up with us long term. 00:17:54:12 - 00:17:55:04 Interesting. 00:17:55:04 - 00:17:56:03 And like you said, 00:17:56:03 - 00:17:56:23 because this is like, 00:17:56:23 - 00:17:58:10 you know, just that day 00:17:58:10 - 00:17:59:01 and you're not staying 00:17:59:01 - 00:18:00:08 overnight in the hospital 00:18:00:08 - 00:18:01:09 and everybody's awake. 00:18:01:09 - 00:18:04:03 There's no, anesthesiologist, I assume. 00:18:04:03 - 00:18:04:17 No. 00:18:04:17 - 00:18:05:11 Oh, wow. 00:18:05:11 - 00:18:07:21 Because it doesn't hurt. 00:18:07:21 - 00:18:08:13 It should not. 00:18:10:00 - 00:18:11:21 Do they feel do you do you feel anything? 00:18:11:21 - 00:18:12:22 Does the patient feel anything? 00:18:12:22 - 00:18:13:09 I would say 00:18:13:09 - 00:18:14:16 the only complaint really 00:18:14:16 - 00:18:16:11 is a little bit of lightheadedness 00:18:16:11 - 00:18:18:06 and that kind of tingling sensation 00:18:18:06 - 00:18:19:10 that patients may feel. 00:18:19:10 - 00:18:20:15 And then after the procedure, 00:18:20:15 - 00:18:22:01 they may feel a little imbalanced. 00:18:22:01 - 00:18:22:13 Okay. 00:18:22:13 - 00:18:23:19 Doesn't happen to everyone. 00:18:23:19 - 00:18:24:16 It is a side effect 00:18:24:16 - 00:18:27:07 that we coach our patients on beforehand. 00:18:27:07 - 00:18:27:20 Interesting. 00:18:27:20 - 00:18:29:03 And they hear it a lot. 00:18:29:03 - 00:18:29:23 They hear it from us, 00:18:29:23 - 00:18:31:14 and then they hear from the neurosurgeon. 00:18:31:14 - 00:18:32:13 And then even during 00:18:32:13 - 00:18:34:01 the procedure we’ll say, hey, 00:18:34:01 - 00:18:35:08 are you feeling these symptoms? 00:18:35:08 - 00:18:37:11 So they're really closely watched. 00:18:37:11 - 00:18:38:09 And then when they say 00:18:38:09 - 00:18:39:07 yes, you're like, don't worry about it. 00:18:39:07 - 00:18:42:02 You're laying down, you’re fine. 00:18:42:02 - 00:18:42:12 Well, you know. 00:18:42:12 - 00:18:43:18 Unfortunately, some of our patients 00:18:43:18 - 00:18:44:17 with the essential tremor 00:18:44:17 - 00:18:46:02 do complain of balance issues. 00:18:46:02 - 00:18:46:13 Oh sure. 00:18:46:13 - 00:18:48:09 So it's usually nothing 00:18:48:09 - 00:18:49:10 beyond what they haven't 00:18:49:10 - 00:18:50:07 already experienced. 00:18:50:07 - 00:18:51:01 Understood. 00:18:52:01 - 00:18:52:17 So I've 00:18:52:17 - 00:18:54:03 heard that this procedure can be done 00:18:54:03 - 00:18:55:20 on both sides of the brain. 00:18:55:20 - 00:18:57:12 So is that one procedure. 00:18:57:12 - 00:18:59:12 Is that two procedures. What is that? 00:18:59:12 - 00:19:00:07 Walk us through that. 00:19:00:07 - 00:19:03:07 Yes. So this procedure is done 00:19:03:07 - 00:19:04:13 in two separate stages. 00:19:04:13 - 00:19:05:05 Okay. 00:19:05:05 - 00:19:06:20 If you want to address both sides 00:19:06:20 - 00:19:08:08 and for the majority of our patients 00:19:08:08 - 00:19:10:16 because it does affect both arms, 00:19:10:16 - 00:19:11:23 they do do both sides, 00:19:11:23 - 00:19:13:04 but they have to be at least 00:19:13:04 - 00:19:14:05 a few months apart. 00:19:14:05 - 00:19:15:12 Oh why is that? 00:19:15:12 - 00:19:16:18 For recovery. Yes. 00:19:16:18 - 00:19:18:22 And we usually start with the dominant hand. 00:19:18:22 - 00:19:19:20 Oh that makes sense. 00:19:19:20 - 00:19:21:21 That is where the screening really is important. 00:19:21:21 - 00:19:22:20 You know, one of my patients, 00:19:22:20 - 00:19:23:22 I think one of the first patients 00:19:23:22 - 00:19:25:06 I had encountered, 00:19:25:06 - 00:19:27:20 he said although he was very debilitated 00:19:27:20 - 00:19:29:06 in many ways, 00:19:29:06 - 00:19:31:07 he said his goal was to be able 00:19:31:07 - 00:19:32:23 to eat his favorite chips again, 00:19:32:23 - 00:19:34:18 which were Pringles. 00:19:34:18 - 00:19:37:03 So he really wanted his right arm 00:19:37:03 - 00:19:39:12 to go first, you know, priorities. 00:19:39:12 - 00:19:41:01 And he was able to get his hand in there. 00:19:41:01 - 00:19:43:08 And that was very meaningful to me. 00:19:43:08 - 00:19:44:08 That’s really funny. 00:19:44:08 - 00:19:45:16 And then he went back for the left side later. 00:19:45:16 - 00:19:47:07 So is it the right side 00:19:47:07 - 00:19:49:08 that controls the left side and vice versa, 00:19:49:08 - 00:19:50:17 or how how does that work? 00:19:50:17 - 00:19:52:05 For the most part, in the superior 00:19:52:05 - 00:19:53:15 aspects of our brain, 00:19:53:15 - 00:19:54:22 the left side does 00:19:54:22 - 00:19:56:12 control the right side of the body. 00:19:56:12 - 00:20:00:05 Okay, so you do one side at a time, months apart, 00:20:00:05 - 00:20:01:18 and you start with the dominant side, 00:20:01:18 - 00:20:03:02 which makes sense. 00:20:03:02 - 00:20:03:19 Whichever. Yeah. 00:20:03:19 - 00:20:05:21 Whichever side is dominant to the patient. 00:20:05:21 - 00:20:07:04 We don't always start on the right side. 00:20:07:04 - 00:20:08:20 There are many lefties out there for you 00:20:08:20 - 00:20:10:07 Leftie right here. Thank you. 00:20:10:07 - 00:20:10:21 Yes. 00:20:10:21 - 00:20:12:11 And does that... is that... 00:20:12:11 - 00:20:14:07 Could you just cut down the entire body 00:20:14:07 - 00:20:16:01 and say that one side is dominant? 00:20:16:01 - 00:20:18:03 Or would it be different for 00:20:18:03 - 00:20:19:13 if it just affected 00:20:19:13 - 00:20:21:17 somebody's left leg and right arm? 00:20:21:17 - 00:20:22:18 I think that's as a neurologist. 00:20:22:18 - 00:20:23:22 This question's very difficult 00:20:23:22 - 00:20:24:17 for me to answer 00:20:24:17 - 00:20:25:06 Okay. 00:20:25:06 - 00:20:26:22 Because the brain is so complex, 00:20:26:22 - 00:20:28:04 and it's not as easy 00:20:28:04 - 00:20:29:22 as splitting things down the middle. 00:20:29:22 - 00:20:31:18 But for the sake of focused 00:20:31:18 - 00:20:33:08 ultrasound ablation, 00:20:33:08 - 00:20:35:05 you can simplify it and say yes. 00:20:35:05 - 00:20:37:11 If you are trying to target the left side, 00:20:37:11 - 00:20:38:05 the tremors, 00:20:38:05 - 00:20:38:21 you would 00:20:38:21 - 00:20:41:02 focus on the right hemisphere of the brain. 00:20:41:02 - 00:20:41:13 Okay. 00:20:41:13 - 00:20:42:23 And you were talking about 00:20:42:23 - 00:20:45:03 how the patient will make a spiral 00:20:45:03 - 00:20:46:15 and we'll see how that improves. 00:20:46:15 - 00:20:48:05 What if you're focusing 00:20:48:05 - 00:20:49:23 specifically on lower body? 00:20:51:08 - 00:20:52:15 What would you ask them to do? 00:20:52:15 - 00:20:52:21 Yeah. 00:20:52:21 - 00:20:53:21 So you know, we have a 00:20:53:21 - 00:20:55:12 tremor, tremor rating scale, 00:20:55:12 - 00:20:57:04 that we do before the patients 00:20:57:04 - 00:20:58:14 go for the procedure. 00:20:58:14 - 00:20:58:22 Okay. 00:20:58:22 - 00:20:59:17 So the rating scale 00:20:59:17 - 00:21:00:15 also includes 00:21:00:15 - 00:21:03:02 certain tasks in the lower limb as well. 00:21:03:02 - 00:21:04:18 And so if that is the case, 00:21:04:18 - 00:21:06:23 then we would have them raise their leg 00:21:06:23 - 00:21:07:19 and kind of sustain 00:21:07:19 - 00:21:09:07 that posture during that time. 00:21:09:07 - 00:21:09:18 I see. 00:21:09:18 - 00:21:10:14 Or do certain tasks 00:21:10:14 - 00:21:11:06 with the leg. 00:21:11:06 - 00:21:11:23 That makes sense. 00:21:11:23 - 00:21:13:05 But that doesn't happen as often. 00:21:13:05 - 00:21:15:09 Okay. 00:21:15:09 - 00:21:18:09 So what sets UCI Health apart 00:21:18:09 - 00:21:19:05 in this treatment 00:21:19:05 - 00:21:20:07 with these movement disorders? 00:21:20:07 - 00:21:21:08 Because like you said there's 00:21:21:08 - 00:21:23:01 you just had the patient. 00:21:23:01 - 00:21:23:15 It's awesome. 00:21:23:15 - 00:21:25:05 There are other places working on this. 00:21:25:05 - 00:21:26:02 Like what makes 00:21:26:02 - 00:21:28:04 UCI Health something that's 00:21:28:04 - 00:21:30:13 that's more specialized in this. 00:21:30:13 - 00:21:32:12 I think this is a question 00:21:32:12 - 00:21:34:09 I can ramble on for a while. 00:21:34:09 - 00:21:37:00 Please. We’ve got nothing but time. 00:21:37:00 - 00:21:38:06 I cannot speak on behalf 00:21:38:06 - 00:21:39:04 of other institutions. 00:21:39:04 - 00:21:41:09 I'm sure everyone is doing fantastic, 00:21:41:09 - 00:21:43:15 but I'm very proud of our team. 00:21:43:15 - 00:21:44:04 Yeah. 00:21:44:04 - 00:21:44:18 Our team, 00:21:44:18 - 00:21:46:16 you know, we are consisting of movement 00:21:46:16 - 00:21:47:21 disorders, neurologists. 00:21:47:21 - 00:21:49:08 We have our neurosurgery team. 00:21:49:08 - 00:21:51:14 We even work closely with neuropsychology... 00:21:51:14 - 00:21:52:06 Wow. 00:21:52:06 - 00:21:53:19 to just balance out risk factors. 00:21:53:19 - 00:21:54:15 So each patient 00:21:54:15 - 00:21:56:13 gets a very tailored approach. 00:21:56:13 - 00:21:57:10 It's incredible. 00:21:57:10 - 00:21:59:07 They may get a little annoyed by us 00:21:59:07 - 00:22:00:01 because they come. 00:22:00:01 - 00:22:01:17 And I ask them so many questions 00:22:01:17 - 00:22:03:00 because to decide 00:22:03:00 - 00:22:04:19 what is the best treatment for a patient, 00:22:04:19 - 00:22:07:13 it goes beyond just are your tremors bad? 00:22:07:13 - 00:22:09:16 Right? It's what medications have you tried? 00:22:09:16 - 00:22:11:02 What kind of side effects do you have? 00:22:11:02 - 00:22:13:13 What lifestyle are you hoping to regain? 00:22:13:13 - 00:22:13:20 Right. 00:22:13:20 - 00:22:16:00 What is the most disabling symptom? 00:22:16:00 - 00:22:18:02 Do you have support at home to help you? 00:22:18:02 - 00:22:19:02 Post-surgically. 00:22:19:02 - 00:22:20:14 These are all things that we weigh in. 00:22:20:14 - 00:22:21:08 That's interesting 00:22:21:08 - 00:22:22:23 because I was thinking to myself, well, 00:22:22:23 - 00:22:24:00 who wouldn't be a candidate, 00:22:24:00 - 00:22:25:07 just be a candidate. 00:22:25:07 - 00:22:27:08 But apparently it's not that simple. 00:22:27:08 - 00:22:28:20 Yes, for all advanced therapies, 00:22:28:20 - 00:22:31:12 we we do try our best to sit down 00:22:31:12 - 00:22:33:09 and have this talk with all of our patients. 00:22:33:09 - 00:22:35:14 I'm actually so proud to announce 00:22:35:14 - 00:22:37:07 that at UCI Health, 00:22:37:07 - 00:22:40:01 we are launching an advanced intervention 00:22:40:01 - 00:22:40:14 in movement 00:22:40:14 - 00:22:41:18 Disorders program, 00:22:41:18 - 00:22:43:07 and it's a clinic that yours 00:22:43:07 - 00:22:44:18 truly is spearheading. 00:22:44:18 - 00:22:46:20 This is awesome, Doctor Ly. 00:22:46:20 - 00:22:48:14 So what is that going to be like? 00:22:48:14 - 00:22:50:06 It's kind of like a hub, 00:22:50:06 - 00:22:51:15 a lot of our patients with movement 00:22:51:15 - 00:22:52:16 disorders are being seen 00:22:52:16 - 00:22:54:01 by community neurologists 00:22:54:01 - 00:22:55:07 because unfortunately, 00:22:55:07 - 00:22:56:06 there are not many movement 00:22:56:06 - 00:22:58:03 disorder specialists out there. 00:22:58:03 - 00:22:59:07 So it's a nice hub 00:22:59:07 - 00:23:00:18 to let our patients 00:23:00:18 - 00:23:02:07 have a safe space 00:23:02:07 - 00:23:03:16 to talk about their options 00:23:03:16 - 00:23:05:13 or even learn about their options. 00:23:05:13 - 00:23:07:16 And that way we can 00:23:07:16 - 00:23:08:03 get them 00:23:08:03 - 00:23:09:13 an expedited track 00:23:09:13 - 00:23:10:19 to get the advanced therapy 00:23:10:19 - 00:23:11:23 that they may need. 00:23:11:23 - 00:23:12:16 It’s incredible. 00:23:12:16 - 00:23:14:02 And once things are working well. 00:23:14:02 - 00:23:14:21 They can still go back 00:23:14:21 - 00:23:16:06 to their community neurologist. 00:23:16:06 - 00:23:18:17 So we're not stealing patients from anybody. 00:23:18:17 - 00:23:21:08 We just hope to be a centralized location 00:23:21:08 - 00:23:22:07 to give access 00:23:22:07 - 00:23:23:21 to our patients in the community. 00:23:23:21 - 00:23:24:21 This is unbelievable. 00:23:24:21 - 00:23:27:09 You go from, you know, a generation ago 00:23:27:09 - 00:23:28:17 and beyond where it's like, 00:23:28:17 - 00:23:30:10 well, sorry, this is your diagnosis. 00:23:30:10 - 00:23:32:08 And, you know, we hope for the best for you 00:23:32:08 - 00:23:34:04 and we hope you live a comfortable life. 00:23:34:04 - 00:23:37:06 Now to having a centralized hub, a team 00:23:37:12 - 00:23:38:08 that can 00:23:38:08 - 00:23:39:12 that can get you over 00:23:39:12 - 00:23:41:02 so many of these obstacles. 00:23:41:02 - 00:23:42:06 It's incredible. 00:23:42:06 - 00:23:43:00 Yes. And our team, 00:23:43:00 - 00:23:44:19 yeah, it's very multidisciplinary. 00:23:44:19 - 00:23:46:12 Even at UCI once a month, 00:23:46:12 - 00:23:48:15 we have very in-depth discussion 00:23:48:15 - 00:23:52:05 about each patient's case to kind of decide, 00:23:52:09 - 00:23:54:15 are they the best candidate for this therapy 00:23:54:15 - 00:23:55:12 or are there alternatives 00:23:55:12 - 00:23:57:06 that we have not considered yet? 00:23:57:06 - 00:23:59:06 So it's a very team based approach. 00:23:59:06 - 00:24:02:06 So if you thought you were cared for in your 00:24:02:06 - 00:24:03:02 regular life, 00:24:04:02 - 00:24:06:04 there is a team of experts 00:24:06:04 - 00:24:07:04 who want to care for you, 00:24:07:04 - 00:24:09:15 who are literally just debating you like, 00:24:09:15 - 00:24:11:08 yeah, narcissist dream. 00:24:11:08 - 00:24:13:01 Yeah, that does sound like it. 00:24:13:01 - 00:24:15:03 That does sound like a pretty thoughtful, 00:24:15:03 - 00:24:16:10 incredible experience. 00:24:16:10 - 00:24:17:12 Yes, I agree, 00:24:17:12 - 00:24:18:20 and you know, as neurologists, 00:24:18:20 - 00:24:19:15 we're notorious 00:24:19:15 - 00:24:22:11 for debating the most miniscule things 00:24:22:11 - 00:24:23:18 for a very long time. 00:24:23:18 - 00:24:25:10 So I would say that our patients 00:24:25:10 - 00:24:26:11 get a lot of attention. 00:24:26:11 - 00:24:27:23 Doctor Ly, thank you so much. 00:24:27:23 - 00:24:30:07 This is so informative and so inspiring. 00:24:30:07 - 00:24:30:21 Thank you. 00:24:30:21 - 00:24:32:18 And we're just we're just so grateful to you 00:24:32:18 - 00:24:33:15 for doing this work. 00:24:33:15 - 00:24:34:14 Oh thank you. 00:24:34:14 - 00:24:36:10 It's been something that I've been inspired 00:24:36:10 - 00:24:37:17 by for a very long time. 00:24:37:17 - 00:24:39:09 Well, we are lucky to have you. 00:24:39:09 - 00:24:40:05 Thank you again. 00:24:40:05 - 00:24:41:12 Thank you so much for having me.