Demonstrates improved functional connectivity and clinical outcomes in pediatric patients with prolonged disorder of consciousness, implying potential as a novel treatment.
PURPOSE: Low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) is an emerging neuromodulation technique. We report the first application of thalamic LIFU in a pediatric patient with prolonged disorder of consciousness (pDOC) to evaluate its safety and efficacy. METHODS: A single pediatric patient with pDOC received 12 sessions of neuroimaging-guided LIFU targeting the left thalamus. Clinical scales (Pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale, Coma Recovery Scale - Revised, activities of daily living, functional oral intake) were assessed longitudinally. Resting-state fMRI was acquired before and after intervention to analyze whole-brain and seed-based functional connectivity. RESULTS: After LIFU, the patient showed significant clinical improvement: full score on PGCS, CRS-R increased from 8 to 20, and enhanced swallowing and daily function. No adverse events occurred. fMRI revealed strengthened connectivity within the default mode and task-positive networks, alongside reduced non-essential couplings, indicating functional network reorganization. CONCLUSION: Thalamic LIFU appears safe and potentially effective in this pediatric pDOC case, with clinical gains possibly mediated by reorganized brain connectivity. These findings support further investigation of LIFU as a novel treatment for pediatric consciousness disorders.
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Zhang et al. (2026) studied this question.
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