Still Believing in Answers for ET
March is National Essential Tremor Awareness Month (NETA). Our 2026 theme is “Still Believing in Answers for ET.”
We hope you’ll consider getting involved in some of the International Essential Tremor Foundation’s (IETF) awareness efforts or initiating some of your own. Visit our awareness page online for ideas and suggestions.
Another way to get involved in NETA Month is make a donation to the IETF. Your gifts support our efforts to be the voice for the estimated 32 million people worldwide impacted by essential tremor (ET). Each donation helps us:
- Advance Research: To date, your research donations have provided more than $1.35 million to fund groundbreaking studies focused on new treatments and bringing us closer to a cure.
- Provide Education and Community: With more than 50 support groups, a 21,900-member online Facebook community, and a library of reliable resources, individuals can connect and find the guidance they need to better navigate life with ET.
- Support Students with ET: Since 2011, the IETF has awarded over 109 scholarships totaling $180,000 to college students with ET, easing financial barriers and supporting their academic goals.
Any amount is appreciated, but if you donate $50 or more, we’ll send you a cozy IETF blanket (shown in the photo) as a thank you.
Together, we can find answers to the causes of ET and change the lives of people living with ET.
Learn about the Felix NeuroAI™ Wristband
The IETF’s latest Essential Tremor Virtual Education Event focuses on, “Treatment of Essential Tremor with Felix NeuroAI™.”
Dr. Richard Dewey, medical director at Fasikl, discusses the Felix NeuroAI system which offers a noninvasive, drug-free alternative to surgery and medications, providing all-day relief for adults living with essential tremor (ET). The device received FDA clearance in July 2025 and the company has set up a waitlist online where the device can be ordered (with a health practitioner’s approval).
Dr. Dewey said many patients experience improvement very quickly after starting use of the Felix. It is recommended that the device be used for 30-60 days to get the full extent of improvement. Studies showed that by 90 days people using the Felix achieve a 33% reduction in tremor.
Headquartered in Minnesota, Fasikl is a pioneering neuro-AI company dedicated to developing advanced, AI-powered neural technologies.
ET vs Parkinson’s: How Do They Differ?
Story after story has been told about mistaking essential tremor (ET) for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Often times, it’s because ET is not well-known and therefore is overshadowed by PD. And the two conditions involve an involuntary tremor.
But there are many differences. For example, in PD patients, there is rarely a family history, whereas in ET patients, more than 50 percent have a family history (and possibly more).
The IETF has a handout “ET vs Parkinson’s disease” which clearly compares the two conditions.
Take a look and educate yourself and others.
Research Study Recruitment
PILOT Study of Essential Tremor
Dr. Elan Louis and his team of tremor researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) are conducting a new PILOT study of essential tremor (ET). They need help from the ET community. If you are at least 80 years old and have been diagnosed with essential tremor in the last 2 to 5 years, then please contact the UTSW researchers at the following email address: tremor@utsouthwestern.edu. Please include your contact information in your message, including your name, telephone and the time zone or state.
They are conducting a feasibility study during which they plan to contact you once and ask over the phone 10 questions, including age, gender, medication history, treatment received for ET, and location of tremor symptoms. After completing the screening, they will ask you if you would be interested in a future study.
Physiologic Correlates of Vocal Tremor Affecting Those with Essential Tremor
Two Locations:
- University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
- Mass Eye & Ear, Boston, MA
Essential tremor is one of the most common movement disorders in the world. Approximately 30% of these individuals exhibit a vocal tremor, with the majority being female. This study will evaluate mechanisms of vocal tremor and their effects on communication, with the goal of advancing current and future treatments.
Eligible participants must have essential tremor and vocal tremor and be willing to travel to Utah or Massachusetts (compensation and travel included).
For the Utah study, please contact Jessica Ku (Clinical Research Coordinator) at Jessica.ku@hsc.utah.edu
For the Massachusetts study, please contact the Simonyan Lab at simonyan_lab@meei.harvard.edu
Study of Familial Characteristics of ET with Identical Twins
Dr. Elan Louis and his team of tremor researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) are conducting a new study of familial characteristics of essential tremor (ET). They need help from the ET community. If you have ET and have an identical (monozygotic) twin sister/brother with ET, please contact the UTSW researchers at the following email address: tremor@utsouthwestern.edu
Please include your contact information in your message (including your name, telephone, and mailing address) and the preferred way to contact you.
Both you and your identical twin sister/brother would be interested in answering questions about your tremor and provide us with a videotape performing daily tasks like using a spoon or drinking from a glass (instructions will be provided).
You and your sibling may live anywhere in the United States and still qualify to participate; all interviews will be conducted via phone and mail.