The Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Program offers diagnostic and therapeutic services as part of your long-term medical care. We also offer consultation services for referring neurologists and primary care physicians.
Your initial evaluation
Your comprehensive initial evaluation will involve:
- A review of your medical records
- An interview to obtain a detailed history of symptoms
- Physical and neurological examinations
- Referral for tests as needed
Treatments we offer
We offer the following treatments:
- Botulinum toxin (“Botox”) injections to relieve severe cramping, dystonia, and sialorrhea (excess salivation)
- Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery to treat medically intractable tremors and other symptoms; electrodes are implanted into precise regions of the brain to interrupt abnormal activity via a pulse generator similar to a pacemaker
- Intra-intestinal pump for continuous infusion of medications (Duopa®) to treat motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease
- Medical management, including consideration of new medications
- Rehabilitation medicine, including occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech and language pathology
- Referral to team members in other departments for management of symptoms
Tests we perform
We offer the following diagnostic tests:
- Cognitive testing
- Computed tomography (CT), which uses X-rays to make detailed pictures of structures inside the body
- Genetic testing, which checks the DNA of cells to find the presence of genes that increase risk for inherited disease
- Laboratory testing
- Sleep studies, which records what happens to your body during sleep
- Neuroimaging testing, including
- DaTscan (Dopamine Transporter Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography [SPECT] Scan), a brain scan that uses a special type of camera and a radioactive liquid to examine organs in the body
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which is a form of MRI that measures blood flow changes in the brain
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where the area of the body being studied is placed inside a special machine that contains a strong magnet
- Positron emission tomography (PET), which uses a special type of camera and a tracer (radioactive substance) to look at organs in the body
- Neurophysiological testing, including:
- Electroencephalography (EEG), which measures and record electrical activity in the brain
- Evoked potential test for Multiple Sclerosis, which measures the time it takes for nerves to respond to stimulation
- Nerve conduction studies/electromyography (NCS/EMG), which measure how well nerves send electrical signals from the spinal cord to the muscles