Research on MRgFUS in neurological disorders is conducted by joint efforts of researchers at Turku Movement Disorders Center, including several research groups. This work integrates pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutic lesioning in movement disorders obtained using state-of-the-art neuroimaging, including structural and functional MRI, molecular brain imaging, and studying causal brain lesions. Our work aims to refine the existing MRgFUS therapies by improving the risk-benefit ratio and facilitating the development of novel therapies using MRgFUS.
Neurologists:
Prof. Juho Joutsa, MD, PhD
- Clinical neurosciences, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku Brain and Mind Center
- jtjout[at]utu.fi
Prof. Valtteri Kaasinen, MD, PhD
- Clinical neurosciences, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku Brain and Mind Center
Anna Brück, MD, Docent
Jaakko Kungshamn, MD
Tomi Kuusimäki, MD
Jaana Rönkä, MD
Emma Ottela, MD
Neurosurgeons:
Assistant Professor Janek Frantzén, MD, PhD
- Clinical neurosciences, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku
- janfra[at]utu.fi
Pekka Jokinen, MD, PhD
Anna Östberg, MD, PhD
Jaakko Luoma, MD
Selected publications:
Hahn Kofoed RH, Schwartz Hvingelby V, Pineda-Pardo JA, Blesa J, Paschen S, Tandon A, Joutsa J, Nogaard Glud A. Focused ultrasound for the treatment of circuit and molecular pathology in Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord 2026
Joutsa J, Frantzen J, Kaasinen V. Aivojen kohdennettu ultraääni liikehäiriösairauksien hoidossa: käyttöaiheet, kokemukset ja potilasvalinta. Duodecim 2025
Liesmäki O, Kungshamn J, Likitalo O, Ellis EG, Bellmunt-Gil A, Aaltonen J, Steinweg I, Myller EM, Roine S, Friedrich MU, Ylikotila P, Joutsa J. Localization and network connectivity of lesions causing limb ataxia in patients with stroke. Neurology 2024;103(6):e209803
Brück A, Blanco Sequeiros R, Frantzen J, Hirvonen J, Jokinen P, Joutsa J, Jääskeläinen S, Korpela J, Kuusimäki T, Rinne J, Sainio T, Kaasinen V. Kohdennettu ultraääni vapinan hoidossa. Duodecim 2023;139(9):713-20.
Joutsa J, Lipsman N, Horn A, Cosgrove GR, Fox MD. The return of the lesion for localization and therapy. Brain 2023;146(8):3146-55.
Younger E, Ellis EG, Parsons N, Pantano P, Tommasin S, Kayenbergs K, Benito-Leon J, Romero JP, Joutsa J, Corp DT. Network localization of essential tremor. Neurology 2023;101(15):e1483-e1494.
Joutsa J, Shih LC, Fox MD. Mapping Holmes’ tremor circuit using the human brain connectome. Ann Neurol 2019;86(6):812-20
Corp DT, Joutsa J, Darby RR, Delnooz CCS, van den Warrenburg BPC, Ren J, Batla A, Bhatia KP, Jinnah HA, Liu H, Fox MD. Network localization of cervical dystonia from causal brain lesions. Brain 2019;142(6):1660-74
Joutsa J, Horn A, Hsu J, Fox MD. Localization of parkinsonism based on focal brain lesions. Brain 2018;141(8):2445-56.
Joutsa J, Shih LC, Horn A, Reich MM, Wu O, Rost N, Fox MD. Identifying therapeutic targets from spontaneous beneficial brain lesions. Ann Neurol. 2018;84(1):153-7.