Celebrity Case Highlights Expanding Role of MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound in Parkinson’s Disease Management

Rebecca King Crews, the wife of actor Terry Crews, has gone public with her decade-long battle with Parkinson’s disease, highlighting a cutting-edge, noninvasive treatment that is offering new hope to patients worldwide.

In recent interviews, the 60-year-old singer and entrepreneur revealed she underwent a focused ultrasound procedure at Stanford University, a therapy that uses sound waves to target areas of the brain responsible for movement symptoms—without the need for traditional surgery. 

Crews said the treatment has already had a dramatic impact. After years of struggling with tremors, she can now write with her right hand for the first time in nearly three years and has regained improved balance and mobility.

The procedure was performed on one side of her brain—standard practice for this therapy—and she plans to undergo a second session later this year to treat the other side.

Her husband, who helped research the treatment for years, described it as a turning point after watching her endure sleepless nights and severe symptoms. 

Focused ultrasound is an emerging treatment for Parkinson’s disease that uses high-intensity sound waves guided by MRI to precisely heat and destroy tiny areas of brain tissue linked to tremors and movement issues. Unlike traditional surgical options such as deep brain stimulation, it is incisionless, meaning no implants or openings in the skull are required. Recent advances have expanded its use. The FDA has approved staged treatments on both sides of the brain, allowing doctors to address symptoms affecting the entire body rather than just one side. 

While the therapy can significantly reduce symptoms like tremors, stiffness, and involuntary movement, it is not a cure and does not stop disease progression. Access also remains limited. Crews noted the procedure is expensive and not yet widely available, with relatively few patients having undergone it nationwide. 

Crews said she chose to share her story not for sympathy, but to bring attention to new treatment options for Parkinson’s patients.“I finally have some uplifting information to offer,” she explained, emphasizing that her experience could help others explore emerging therapies. 

Her journey underscores a broader shift in Parkinson’s care, where noninvasive technologies like focused ultrasound are expanding the range of options for patients who do not respond well to medication—offering renewed optimism in the fight against a progressive neurological disease.