Two technologies, one disease: Connecting DBS and focused ultrasound for Parkinson’s disease management

The image illustrates two advanced neuromodulation techniques used in PD treatment: A Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) and B Focused Ultrasound (FUS). Credit: 3 Biotech (2026). DOI: 10.1007/s13205-025-04681-z

Parkinson’s disease is no longer viewed as a faraway neurological ailment buried in textbooks. More than 10 million people are already affected worldwide, and the number is continually climbing. Men are somewhat more impacted than women, with the largest rise occurring in aging populations throughout Europe, North America, and portions of Asia.

What troubles me most, however, is not just how common Parkinson’s has become, but how quietly it enters people’s lives. Long before tremors emerge, a few abnormalities in sleep, mood, movement and vitality are easily dismissed. By the time a diagnosis is made, many dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra have died, and much of the damage is permanent.

As I began reading more deeply about Parkinson’s disease, one question kept returning. Despite decades of research, why do so many treatments still focus on managing symptoms rather than addressing the underlying process? Medications can replace dopamine, but only temporarily. Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, has improved many patients’ lives by restoring movement control; nevertheless, it involves brain surgery and typically does nothing to address nonmotor complaints such as sleep disorders, anxiety or cognitive impairment. These constraints remained with me as I proceeded to research the literature.

About the same time, I came upon targeted ultrasonic stimulation. What struck me instantly was how unique it was. No electrodes. No implants. No incisions. Instead, precisely regulated sound waves might reach deep brain areas with astonishing accuracy. Ultrasound has the potential to impact neuronal activity, regulate brain networks, and even temporarily break the blood–brain barrier, allowing medicines to reach previously inaccessible locations. Compared to DBS, it felt more elegant, adaptable and physiologically versatile.

The contrast didn’t sit well with me. One was a powerful yet invasive technology. The other was adaptable and inconspicuous. But they were almost always offered as alternatives, as if Parkinson’s disease itself could be treated with a single tool. Parkinson’s disease, however, affects no circuit or structure. It affects the autonomic, motor, cognitive and emotional networks all at once. When treating such an illness, it began to appear that a complex system may be resolved with a single dial.

Our current review, which is published in 3 Biotech, began with that realization. Instead of suggesting a novel tool or a treatment, we investigated the following hypothesis: What if focused ultrasound and deep brain stimulation were allies rather than rivals? What if the limits of both electrical and acoustic neuromodulation could be offset?

DBS provides consistent, ongoing management of malfunctioning motor circuits in the basal ganglia. Precision, flexibility and access to biological pathways that electrical stimulation cannot reach are all enhanced by focused ultrasound. Combining these strategies may enhance motor results, lessen abnormal brain rhythms, and perhaps enable lower DBS intensities, a crucial step toward reducing side effects, according to preclinical research.

What really appeals to me, though, is what this hybrid method may provide in addition to movement. Tremor is not the most incapacitating aspect of Parkinson’s disease, according to many patients. Anxiety, mood swings, sleep issues and cognitive slowdown frequently have a far greater impact on day-to-day living. By interacting with limbic and cortical networks, focused ultrasound can provide opportunities in regions where DBS is not as effective.

Another issue is the delivery of drugs. By momentarily opening the blood–brain barrier, focused ultrasound can allow deep areas like the substantia nigra and striatum to be reached by neurotrophic agents, antibodies, gene treatments, or nanoparticles. Combining this with DBS-stabilized circuits increases the likelihood of saving susceptible neurons themselves rather than just controlling symptoms.

Writing this review was more like listening to a discussion among subjects that had not yet fully connected—biotechnology, neurology, ultrasonic physics, and neurosurgery—than it was like summarizing publications. Disciplinary boundaries are not respected by Parkinson’s disease, and maybe they shouldn’t be, either.

The field of hybrid DBS-focused ultrasound neuromodulation is still in its infancy. There are upcoming clinical obstacles, safety concerns, and technical difficulties. However, millions of people have Parkinson’s disease, which is widespread, progressive, and very personal. It is improbable that a single breakthrough will lead to progress. Sometimes, science advances because we finally make connections between previously existing concepts rather than creating something completely new.

This story is part of Science X Dialog, where researchers can report findings from their published research articles. Visit this page for information about Science X Dialog and how to participate.

Dr. Bano is an active contributor to the European Union Joint Program Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) project (REMOPD) Restoring Motor Functions in Parkinson’s Disease with Noninvasive Hybrid Transcranial Neuromodulation). Her ongoing research, in collaboration with Dr. Grygoriy Tsenov and Dr. Jaison Jeevanandam at NUDZ, integrates neurochemistry, nanotechnology, and cellular neurophysiology by evaluating the effects of selenium-derived nanoparticles, organic selenium compounds, and FUS-mediated calcium signaling as potential neuroprotective strategies. Through this multidisciplinary approach, she aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal resilience and contribute to the development of safe, non-invasive therapeutic interventions for neurodegenerative disorders. Her broader research vision bridges fundamental neuroscience with applied nanomedicine to promote translational advances in brain health.

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