A Systematic Review Comparing Radiofrequency versus Focused Ultrasound Pallidotomy in the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease.

Introduction: Focused ultrasound (FUS) pallidotomy is a promising new therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD). The efficacy, motor outcomes, and side effects of FUS pallidotomy compared to radiofrequency (RF) pallidotomy are unknown.

Methods: We performed a systematic review of the outcomes and side effect profiles of FUS versus RF pallidotomy in patients with PD.

Results: Across four RF reports and one FUS report, putative contralateral UPDRS III scores were not significantly different following RF versus FUS pallidotomy. Across 18 RF and 2 FUS reports, the mean failure rate was 14% following RF pallidotomy versus 24% following FUS pallidotomy. Across 25 RF and 3 FUS reports, cognitive deficit was significantly more prevalent following RF pallidotomy (p = 0.004).

Conclusion: At present, limited data and heterogeneity in outcome reporting challenges comparisons of FUS and RF pallidotomy efficacy and safety. Available evidence suggests FUS pallidotomy may have broadly similar efficacy and a lower risk of cognitive impairment relative to RF pallidotomy. Standardized reporting of post-lesion outcomes in future studies would improve power and rule out potential confounders of these results.