New treatment for Parkinson’s tremor and essential tremor

In Denmark, approximately 12,000 people live with Parkinson’s disease, and around 10 percent of all Danes over the age of 60 suffer from Essential Tremor, also called rystesyge. Each year, there are roughly 1,500 and 2,100 new cases of the two conditions, respectively. One of the symptoms of Parkinson’s is tremors, which can be disabling and challenging in both work and daily activities.

Privathospitalet Mølholm can now offer treatment with MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), which makes it possible to reduce or completely eliminate troublesome tremors. The treatment is non-surgical and is suitable for patients who have either not responded sufficiently to medication or cannot tolerate medical treatment.

"It’s an amazing feeling that we can finally start offering this treatment, and we have been really looking forward to getting started," says neurosurgery specialist and PhD Christian Bonde Pedersen at Privathospitalet Mølholm, noting that while the treatment is known worldwide, only a small number of patients who could benefit from it are aware of it in Denmark.

Studies with documented effectiveness

One reason may be that the treatment is relatively new in Denmark, unlike in the rest of the world, where it is a well-established treatment option and more than 22,000 patients have received it for their tremors.

The specialist has very positive expectations for the new treatment option, as larger studies have documented a significant and lasting reduction in tremors with a favorable safety profile, he explains.

"There have been many studies indicating rapid effectiveness and very rare side effects, and with the short hospital stay, we have high expectations," says Christian Bonde Pedersen.

3-hour treatment without surgery or medication
The treatment typically lasts two to three hours, and you remain awake throughout the entire procedure. During the treatment, you lie in an MRI scanner wearing a special helmet. Using ultrasound waves, energy is directed at a small area in the brain called the thalamus, which helps control and coordinate movement. The treatment is fast and effective and has few side effects.

The treatment is performed by specially trained physicians at Privathospitalet Mølholm in Vejle.

Facts about MRgFUS

• MRgFUS stands for MR-guided focused ultrasound treatment
• Over 1,000 ultrasound transducers are guided by the MRI scanner to ensure the treatment is delivered with high precision
• First, a small area in the thalamus of the brain is heated at low intensity, after which the dose is adjusted upward until the desired effect is achieved
• The patient lies in an MRI scanner wearing a special helmet
• The treatment lasts 2–3 hours, you remain awake throughout the procedure, and you can go home afterward
• The price for a treatment is DKK 240,000 DKK including scans.
• The treatment is performed exclusively by trained specialist physicians

Source: Mortezaei A. et al. (2024) – Systematisk review og metaanalyse af behandlingsforløb op til 5 år, med signifikant tremorreduktion og forbedret livskvalitet.

Learn more about the treatment

Anni Kathrine Søndergaard, 20 January 2026