Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42281805›Full record

ReviewNeuro-oncology advances2026

Focused ultrasound in pediatric neuro-oncology: Current applications and future directions.

Catherine Lin, Maheleth Llinas, Nir Lipsman, Stacey Krumholtz, Karim Mithani, Kullervo Hynynen, James Rutka

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Neuro-oncology advances, 2026. 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

7 authors.

Catherine LinProgram in Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7600-5199
Maheleth LlinasHarquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Nir LipsmanDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Stacey KrumholtzProgram in Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Karim MithaniDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8094-3070
Kullervo HynynenOdette Cancer Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6219-2982
James RutkaDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0851-7330

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a minimally invasive procedure with recent applications to patients with neurosurgical conditions. To date, most neuro-oncologic applications of FUS have occurred in the adult population to target high-grade gliomas and brain metastases. Its potential applications in pediatric neuro-oncology are only just starting to be realized. In children, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been used to treat benign intracranial lesions such as hypothalamic hamartomas and subependymal giant cell astrocytomas. Experience is now accruing with the use of low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) in conjunction with systemically administered microbubbles in children to disrupt the blood-brain barrier (BBB) using magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS). The pediatric brain tumor for which this application has been used is diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a typically fatal neoplasm in children ages 5-7 years. Here, the history of FUS is reviewed, the principles of FUS therapy are delineated, and a discussion of its applications in neuro-oncology with a focus on pediatric neuro-oncology is provided. Innovations in MRgFUS are ushering a new and exciting era of minimally invasive treatments for children with brain tumors.

Indexed as

blood–brain barrierbrain tumorfocused ultrasoundpediatric neuro-oncology

Identifiers

PMID42281805
PMCPMC13250582

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

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.