Sarasota Resident Finds New Hope in Novel Tremor Treatment

Focused ultrasound procedure reduces essential tremor symptoms in man's dominant hand.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 9:56pm

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An extreme close-up X-ray photograph revealing the ghostly, glowing outline of a human hand and wrist, with the fingers slightly trembling to conceptually illustrate the effects of essential tremor.A non-invasive ultrasound procedure helps a Sarasota resident regain control over the tremors in his dominant hand, restoring his ability to perform everyday tasks.Sarasota Today

Alan Dee, a Sarasota resident, struggled for years with an essential tremor that severely impacted his daily life, making it difficult to perform simple tasks like writing, eating, and signing documents. After trying various treatments with little success, Dee found hope at Tampa General Hospital and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, where he underwent a focused ultrasound procedure to address the tremor in his dominant right hand.

Why it matters

Essential tremor is a common neurological disorder that can significantly diminish quality of life. The focused ultrasound treatment offers a non-invasive option for patients who have not found relief through medication or other therapies, potentially improving their ability to perform everyday tasks and regain independence.

The details

The focused ultrasound treatment uses 1,024 ultrasound beams targeted at a specific part of the brain responsible for transmitting information about joint movement. This reduces the "noise" in that circuit of the brain, allowing it to send information more accurately and reducing the tremor. Dee underwent the procedure on December 3rd, where he was able to see immediate improvements in his ability to draw spirals and straight lines, tasks he had previously found impossible due to the severity of his tremor.

  • On December 3rd, 2025, Dee underwent the focused ultrasound procedure to address the tremor in his dominant right hand.
  • Prior to the procedure, Dee struggled with tasks like writing, eating, and signing documents due to the severity of his essential tremor.

The players

Alan Dee

A Sarasota resident who has struggled with an essential tremor for years, significantly impacting his daily life until undergoing a focused ultrasound procedure to address the tremor in his dominant right hand.

Dr. Yarema Bezchlibnyk

An associate professor of neurosurgery at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, who explains how the focused ultrasound treatment works to reduce the "noise" in the brain circuit responsible for transmitting information about joint movement, thereby reducing the tremor.

Tampa General Hospital

The hospital where Dee underwent the focused ultrasound procedure to address his essential tremor.

USF Health Morsani College of Medicine

The medical school associated with Tampa General Hospital, which offers the focused ultrasound treatment for essential tremor patients.

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What they’re saying

“I could not write a check. I could not sign in at a doctor's office. I couldn't eat a bowl of soup. I couldn't eat peas; they would fall off my fork. It leads to an awful lot of embarrassment.”

— Alan Dee

“The information where the patient's joints are doesn't make its way to the part of the brain that we use to move our hands around, and so that results in a very specific amplitude and frequency of a tremor.”

— Dr. Yarema Bezchlibnyk, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine

“What that causes is, it reduces the noise, if you will, in that circuit of the brain, allowing it to then send that information more appropriately.”

— Dr. Yarema Bezchlibnyk, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine

What’s next

Dee is hopeful he can qualify for the focused ultrasound procedure to address the tremor in his other hand in the near future.

The takeaway

The focused ultrasound treatment offers a promising non-invasive option for patients struggling with essential tremors, potentially restoring their ability to perform everyday tasks and regain their independence.