Ultrasound as a treatment modality for neurological diseases

Neurological disorders are a particular challenge for therapeutic intervention — ultrasound has emerged as a novel approach with a broad range of applications

With an ageing population, neurological disorders present an increasing challenge to our health care systems. Although antibodies are increasingly being explored for therapeutic intervention,1 the inefficiency of their uptake by the brain means that the estimated cost of a vaccine to treat neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease (AD) will exceed US$25 000 per patient per year.2 Not only is this expected to challenge the health care systems of many countries, it also raises ethical issues associated with making these vaccines available to every patient.