Goodbye to tremors without a scalpel: at the Vanvitelli Hospital, the ultrasound "helmet" restores life to patients.

Naples — The tremor that prevented him from driving, shaving, or even lifting a spoon to his mouth is gone. Today, Mauro Sellitto, a 72-year-old engineer from Caserta, has returned to a normal life. He is one of the first ten patients—eight from Campania and two from other regions—treated at the Luigi Vanvitelli University Hospital with a revolutionary technology: magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS).

"This result has given me back a future that seemed compromised by my illness," says Sellitto, one of the first to benefit from the new system installed at the Neapolitan hospital, the only one in Southern Italy equipped with this updated version.

A revolution without a scalpel

The technique eliminates the disabling tremors caused by drug-resistant Parkinson's disease and essential tremor without opening the skull or implanting electrodes, as is done with deep brain stimulation. The patient wears a "helmet" with over a thousand ultrasound sources inside an MRI scanner. The ultrasound waves are focused with pinpoint precision on a tiny area of ​​the brain responsible for the tremor, specifically "necrotizing" it.

"Bombing the right hemisphere resolves the tremor in the left hemisphere and vice versa," explains Professor Manlio Barbarisi, a neurosurgeon on the multidisciplinary team. The procedure lasts an average of three to four hours, the patient remains awake, and doctors can monitor motor improvement in real time.

Immediate and long-lasting results

Of the first ten patients—four with Parkinson's and six with essential tremor—treated from the end of November to today, the vast majority achieved a tremor reduction of between 80 and 100%. In only one case was the benefit between 40 and 50%, which was still clinically significant.

"The effect is immediate and stable over time," emphasizes Professor Alessandro Tessitore, director of Neurology at the Vanvitelli Hospital and president of the Italian Parkinson's Society (Limpe-DisMov). "Follow-up data show that symptom control remains significant even after five years, despite the possibility of a partial recurrence related to the natural progression of the disease."

. In these cases, repeating the treatment may be considered." The technique is already expanding its field of application: recent developments allow it to also treat forms of Parkinson's without predominant tremor, characterized by rigidity and slow motor activity.

A record for Campania

The acquisition of the equipment, made possible with regional funding, positions Campania among the few Italian regions able to offer this treatment. "It's the only region in Southern Italy able to do so," emphasizes Mario Iervolino, director general of the Vanvitelli Hospital, highlighting the dual effect: improved care for Campania's citizens and a reduction in healthcare migration.

The rector of Vanvitelli University, Gianfranco Nicoletti, emphasizes the scientific and educational value of the project: "It represents a significant improvement in terms of patient safety and quality of life, while also opening up new research and training opportunities for students and specialists."

Professor Mario Cirillo, a neuroradiologist on the team, confirms: "Rigorous patient selection and real-time monitoring during the procedure are essential to ensure optimal results." This technology, for the first time in the South, makes what until recently seemed like science fiction a reality: eliminating a disabling tremor without a single incision.