MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound for Brain Ablation and BloodBrain Barrier Disruption

MR-guided transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS) has been demonstrated as a non-invasive tool for treating various brain diseases. First, FUS can thermally ablate brain tissues under real-time MR thermometry monitoring. The MRI guidance significantly improves the precision of the thermal dose deposition. Second, in conjunction with microbubble contrast agents, FUS can reversibly disrupt the blood–brain barrier for delivery of macromolecular drugs to the brain parenchyma. This offers huge potential for treating brain diseases with a much higher local drug concentration than other drug delivery methods. In this chapter, a detailed protocol of MR-guided focused ultrasound for brain thermal ablation and BBB disruption in an animal research setting is presented.