Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: Neurosurgery. 2016 Nov;79(5):643–654. doi: 10.1227/NEU.0000000000001399

Table 1.

Applications of focused ultrasound in neuro-oncology

Application Rate of energy
deposition		 Energy
intensity		 Acoustic
mechanism		 Biological
effect
Thermal ablation Continuous High Hyperthermia
(high)		 Coagulative
necrosis
Radiosensitization Continuous Low Hyperthermia
(low)		 Prevents DNA
repair
Sonodynamic therapy Pulsed High Inertial cavitation Formation of
reactive oxygen
species
Blood-brain barrier
opening		 Pulsed Low Stable cavitation Disruption of
tight junctions
Enhanced local delivery Pulsed Low or High Radiation forces Tissue
displacement
and shear forces
Immunomodulation Continuous and
Pulsed		 High Miscellaneous a Miscellaneous a
a

Ultrasound-mediated immunomodulation may occur due to thermal or mechanical exposures, with the latter being more prominent. The result is the presentation of tumor-specific antigens to antigen presenting cells, changes in chaperone expression and cytokine secretion.