Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that impacts a million people living in the United States today.

One of the most noticeable symptoms — the tremors — can be weakening.

To control these tremors, doctors use deep brain stimulation that uses electrodes to deliver electrical pulses to the brain. However, the electrodes can corrode, accumulate scar tissue, and need to be removed. 

MIT researchers created a fiber that uses ultrasound to stimulate neurons in the brain.

“Imagine a hair tick device really thin, actually thinner than your hair fiber, and which can be implanted in your deep brain,” MIT professor Canan Dagdeviren said. 

The ImPULS, or implantable piezoelectric ultrasound stimulator, generates high-frequency sound waves to activate brain cells and help reconnect broken circuits and ultimately help control the tremors.

“Instead of using like hard electrodes inside the brain and applying voltage, we are simply vibrating through ultrasound waves,” Dagdeviren said.

“The technology could potentially be used for various medical treatments, including tumor treatments, memory restoration, and treatments for organs that are difficult to reach.

While more trials will need to be done, researchers hope to have the device ready for patients in five years.

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