Tremor Gram – May 2026

Tune into our Latest Talking Essential Tremor Podcast

Learn about the Be Still Foundation and what it does to support people with essential tremor. It’s the topic of our latest Talking Essential Tremor podcast, “Talking about the Be Still Foundation.” 

The foundation helps cover the costs, raise awareness and provide education on the benefits of Focused Ultrasound treatment for those in need of tremor relief. This includes people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and essential tremor.

Founder Bobby Krause shares his personal story of launching Be Still. Diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease at age 42, he spent years struggling with the condition before considering focused ultrasound (FUS). Bobby’s insurance would not cover the procedure. But something miraculous happened. A generous donor stepped up to cover the cost. Forming the Be Still Foundation was Bobby’s way of paying it forward to others.

Learn more about the Be Still Foundation on their website.

New Essential Tremor Support Groups

We want to welcome our newest Essential Tremor Support Groups and thank their leaders for their commitment to this role,

ET Support Groups bring people with ET together in a caring environment to share stories, learn about management techniques and connect as a small ET community. Our newest groups are:

• Knoxville, TN ET Support Group, led by leader Laura Clabo
• Erie, PA ET Support Group, led by Christopher Pappas
• Treasure Valley, ID ET Support Group, led by Joseph Pukstas
• Liberty, MO ET Support Group, led by Amber Cordell
  
  

See a complete list of all ET Support Groups on our website. If you don’t see one near you, consider starting one. The IETF provides a training manual and support. Express your interest by completing our online application. 

ET Research Study Published in Premier Scientific Journal

An ET research study that received grant funding from the International Essential Tremor Foundation (IETF) has been published in Nature Genetics, a leading high-impact journal in the field of genetics. This is a significant achievement!

The study, “Characterizing the Transcriptomic Landscapes of Essential Tremor” was conducted by Dr. Guy Rouleau, OC, OQ, MD, PhD, FRCPC, FRSC, Chair of the Department of Neurology at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. The published article is titled, “Single-cell Expression QTL Analyses of the Human Cerebellum Reveal Vulnerability of Oligodendrocytes in Essential Tremor.”

The study focused on:

1) the role of different cerebellar cells in ET, 2) the effects that genetic risk factors for ET have on the expression of certain genes in the cerebellum and 3) the effects of propranolol on cerebellar cells derived from ET patients.

In the final progress report from the study, Dr. Rouleau and his team shared:

“Our project is on its way to characterizing the cellular landscape of ET cerebellar cortex and providing a better understanding of the causal relationship between genetic risk factors and affected cell types. In the same process, we are also constructing what may be the largest single-cell mapping of the human cerebellum. Finally, we believe that our work will contribute to an emerging paradigm shift in ET research, focusing on the role of oligodendrocytes in disease pathophysiology.”

Research Study Recruitment

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.

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

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.