Brain therapy

A system for performing brain therapy, comprising:

• a magnetic resonance machine having a surface coil and means for generating a main magnetic field;
• a combination imaging and therapeutic probe, the probe including a magnetic resonance imaging antenna and an electrical energy application element;
• means for acquiring a first magnetic resonance image from the antenna of the combination probe when the antenna is inside the brain;
• means for acquiring a second magnetic resonance image from the surface coil;
• means for combining the first and second magnetic resonance images to produce a composite image;
• means for positioning the combination probe within the brain with guidance from at least one of the images;
• and
• means for delivering electrical energy to the brain from the electrical energy application clement of the combination probe thus positioned.

A system for performing brain therapy using an MRI scanner, comprising:

• a combination imaging and therapeutic probe, the probe including a magnetic resonance imaging antenna and an electrical energy application element on a distal end portion of the probe, the magnetic resonance imaging antenna configured to receive MR signals from local tissue in vivo when in position inside a subject;
• means for acquiring a magnetic resonance image from the antenna of the combination probe;
• means for positioning the combination probe within the brain with guidance at least in part from the image;
• means for delivering electrical energy to the brain from the electrical energy application element of the combination probe thus positioned;
• and
• an RF attenuation filter circuit in communication with the means for delivering electrical energy for selectively attenuating an RF signal in the probe generated by the MRI scanner.