Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Program

Movement disorders are illnesses that affect movement. If you have a movement disorder, Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H) caregivers can help you.

About movement disorders

Normal movement requires a complex system of control. Disruption of this system can cause movements that are too weak, too forceful, or awkward. Unwanted movements may occur at rest. Intentional movement may become impossible. Such conditions are called movement disorders.

Abnormal movements are symptoms of underlying disorders. In some cases, the abnormal movements are the only symptoms. Disorders causing abnormal movements include Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and other disorders.

About us

• We work together with experts from neurology, neurosurgery, and many other specialties. Meet our team of Dartmouth-Hitchcock experts.
• Treatments we offer include medical management, deep brain stimulation (DBS), intra-intestinal pump for continuous infusion of medication (Duopa®) and botulinum toxin (Botox®) injection. Learn about your initial evaluation with our team, and all our tests and treatments.
• We oversee clinical trials that aim to discover new treatments for and insights into movement disorders. Learn about our research and clinical trials.
• We offer a range of support services via the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Resource Center, including education, support groups, and e-newsletters. Learn about our patient support and education services.
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) is New Hampshire's only Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) Center of Excellence. It is one of only four such Centers in New England. Learn more about our Huntington's Disease Clinic.

To make an appointment with a clinician, please contact us.

Conditions we treat

• Apraxia: A neurological disorder characterized by the loss of the ability to carry out skilled movements and gestures
• Ataxia: A family of disorders that affect the parts of the nervous system that control movement
• Chorea: An involuntary movement disorder characterized by brief, irregular muscle contractions that are not repetitive or rhythmic
• Dystonia: A disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that cause slow, repetitive movements or abnormal postures
• Essential tremor (ET): A disorder that involves unintentional muscle movement that is somewhat rhythmic
• Huntington's disease (HD): A rare condition that causes rapid jerky body movements and the loss of mental skills
• Myoclonus (Periodic Limb Movement Disorder [PLMD]): A condition in which a person's legs, and sometimes arms, move repetitively and uncontrollably during sleep
• Parkinson's disease (PD): A disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and affects the way a person moves
• Parkinson-plus syndromes/Atypical parkinsonisms: A group of neurological conditions that are similar to Parkinson's disease but have unique characteristics, including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD)
• Restless legs syndrome (RLS): A disorder where people have an unpleasant sensation in parts of their bodies when they lie down to sleep
• Tardive dyskinesia: A neurological syndrome caused by the long-term use of neruoleptic drugs
• Tourette's disorder: A hereditary neurological movement disorder that is characterized by repetitive motor and vocal tics
• Tremor: An involuntary, rhythmic muscle contraction that leads to shaking movements in one or more parts of the body
• Wilson disease: An inherited disorder in which excessive amounts of copper accumulate in the body and damage the liver, brain and eyes