September 5, 2025
Aarhus becomes the first Center of Excellence in Scandinavia and the 15th worldwide, joining a global network of leading institutions advancing the development and adoption of focused ultrasound technology.
“The work being done at Aarhus University Hospital demonstrates the extraordinary potential of focused ultrasound—from improving treatments for movement disorders to pioneering new approaches for Parkinson’s and dementia,” said Neal F. Kassell, MD, Founder and Chairman of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation. “Aarhus University Hospital is significantly expanding access to focused ultrasound in Scandinavia and accelerating the global effort to make focused ultrasound a standard of care.”
Focused ultrasound was first introduced at Aarhus in 2022 as a treatment for essential tremor, making it the first public hospital in Scandinavia to offer the noninvasive therapy. By 2024, more than 170 patients had been treated. Beginning in fall 2025, the hospital will offer bilateral treatment for essential tremor and initiate a clinical study for tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease.
In 2023, Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital established a preclinical focused ultrasound platform that now supports multiple projects with capacity to treat more than 60 animals per week. Current preclinical research focuses on modulation of Parkinson’s-related dementia, supported among others by the Foundation, the Carlsberg Foundation, and EU Horizon. Over the next two years, the program will expand to include neuromodulation (e.g., transcranial ultrasound stimulation) and focused ultrasound gene therapy.
“We are honoured and delighted with the designation as a Focused Ultrasound Center of Excellence,” says Jens Christian Hedemann Sørensen, Professorial Chair, Dept. of Neurosurgery and Danish Neuroscience Centre. “Focused ultrasound treatment is a giant leap in our efforts to improve the quality of life of the most severely affected patients with essential tremor and holds great potential for other indications. At Aarhus University Hospital and Danish Neuroscience Centre, we are looking forward to expanding our collaboration with other leading clinics and research centers for the benefit of patients with movement disorders.”
Future studies at Aarhus will also explore blood-brain barrier opening for targeted drug delivery and neurostimulation, with the potential to transform treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumors, and psychiatric disorders. An upcoming 2025 study in tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease will integrate biomarkers, liquid biopsy, advanced imaging, and neuropsychological evaluations to optimize patient selection and long-term outcomes.
Skriv mellemrubrik her
Skriv afsnit ind her
Skriv mellemrubrik her
Skriv afsnit ind her
Skriv mellmrubrik her
Skriv afsnit her