Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40500553›Full record

ArticleChild's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery2025

Focused ultrasound in pediatric neurosurgery: a scoping review of opportunities and challenges.

Andrew M Hersh, Ritvik Jillala, Patrick Kramer, Robert F Keating, Hasan R Syed, Chima O Oluigbo, Mari L Groves, Amir Manbachi, Nicholas Theodore, Graeme F Woodworth and 3 more

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Andrew M HershDepartment of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Ritvik JillalaDepartment of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Patrick KramerDepartment of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Robert F KeatingDepartment of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Hasan R SyedDepartment of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Chima O OluigboDepartment of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Mari L GrovesDepartment of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Amir ManbachiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Nicholas TheodoreDepartment of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Graeme F WoodworthDepartment of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Evan CantorDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Connecticut Children's, Hartford, CT, USA.
Patrick B SenatusDepartment of Neurosurgery, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, USA.
David S HershDivision of Neurosurgery, Connecticut Children's, Hartford, CT, USA. dhersh@connecticutchildrens.org.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTranscranial focused ultrasound (FUS) non-invasively transmits acoustic energy across the skull, resulting in biological effects. Although early studies focused on adult movement disorders, transcranial FUS is now being explored for pediatric patients as well. Here, we review the emerging applications of transcranial FUS in pediatric neurosurgery and explore the unique considerations for this patient population.

methodsA scoping review was conducted using PRISMA-ScR guidelines.

resultsA total of 20 studies were included. Six clinical investigations reported the outcomes of 22 individual patients, ten of whom underwent thermal ablation of brain tumors or lesions. Eleven patients underwent sonodynamic therapy of brainstem tumors without adverse effects, and one patient underwent blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening prior to the infusion of doxorubicin. Preclinical studies further explored the use of low-intensity FUS to transiently disrupt the BBB and improve the delivery of therapeutic agents to diffuse midline gliomas or medulloblastomas.

conclusionsThis review highlights the growing interest in expanding transcranial FUS to pediatric neurosurgical patients. In parallel to ongoing work in the adult neurosurgical community, pediatric neurosurgical applications of this novel technology will continue to expand, but will require conscious and intentional efforts to optimize its use given the unique features of the pediatric population.

Indexed as

Brain NeoplasmsNeurosurgical ProceduresPediatricsUltrasonic TherapyChildHumansBrainDMGFocused ultrasoundNeurosurgeryPediatricsTumor

Identifiers

PMID40500553

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.