Category: Disparities
Objective: Quantitatively describe demographic disparities among patients with tremor treated with MRgFUS and GK.
Background: Thalamotomy is an established and effective treatment of tremor when symptoms are refractory to medications. MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) and gamma knife (GK) surgery are two options and are often used as a less intensive option compared to deep brain stimulation. To date, no studies have examined the role of socioeconomic or demographic factors in access to or utilization of GK or MRgFUS.
Method: A retrospective chart review and phone survey was conducted with patients treated at the University of Alberta, a high-volume academic movement disorder center in Edmonton, AB. We analyzed patients received GK or MRgFUS between 2019 and 2022. Variables such as ethnicity, sex, marital status, country of birth, first language, religion, education, occupation, residence location (urban/rural), referring physician type (e.g., primary care provider, general neurologist, subspecialist neurologist, or other) and household income were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize quantitative data.
Results: Twenty-six patients received MRgFUS and GK combined at our site. The average age of patients receiving MRgFUS and GK was 78.6 years. There were notable disparities in patients receiving these interventions at our site. MRgFUS and GK recipients were largely White (96%), male (73%), married (77%), referred by a subspecialist neurologist (64%), and lived in an urban location (64%).
Conclusion: Preliminary data from a single academic center retrospective chart reviews suggest that significant disparities exist in the clinical provision and access to MRgFUS and GK, despite these interventions being less intensive compared to other surgical alternatives such as deep brain stimulation.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
S. Corrick, J. Miyasaki, S. Poonja, P. Torabi, K. Yen, G. Dimapilis, T. Sankar, F. Ba. Disparities in Accessing MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) and Gamma Knife for Tremor Treatment: A Retrospective Chart Review [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2026; 41 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/disparities-in-accessing-mri-guided-focused-ultrasound-mrgfus-and-gamma-knife-for-tremor-treatment-a-retrospective-chart-review/. Accessed October 1, 2026.« Back to 2026 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/disparities-in-accessing-mri-guided-focused-ultrasound-mrgfus-and-gamma-knife-for-tremor-treatment-a-retrospective-chart-review/