Neurosciences Institute - Neurology - Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative neurological disorder affecting over 1 million Americans which causes the premature loss of dopamine producing nerve cells in the brain. The resulting dopamine deficiency gives rise to the characteristic symptoms of tremor, slowness, stiffness and imbalance which comprise the syndrome of parkinsonism.
Although there is no cure for this disease, the symptoms usually improve with treatment. All the currently available medications have the potential to dramatically improve symptoms by, directly or indirectly, increasing the amount of dopamine in the brain. However, these medicines must be prescribed with care due to potential side effects and the wide dosage variation required by individual patients. There are also surgical treatments available for certain patients with Parkinson's disease.
At the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center of Albany Medical Center, we specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease and related disorders such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and drug-induced parkinsonism. We have evaluated over 2000 patients with Parkinsonism and currently follow over 1000 Parkinson's disease patients on a regular basis. We have been involved in several investigational drug trials over the past 10 years which have included medications for patients with advanced disease as well as potential neuroprotective treatments. As a result, our patients have access to the most advanced treatments for their condition, in many cases, years before they have been available to the general public. Our center is an active investigative site for the Parkinson Study Group (PSG). This is a consortium of the most prestigious academic programs in North America designed to evaluate new treatments for Parkinson's disease independent of the influence of the pharmaceutical industry. We have also been involved in the evaluation of patients for surgical treatments for Parkinson's disease for several years. We have worked closely with our neurosurgical collegue, Dr. Joseph Emrich for several years delivering the state of the art in surgical therapy for Parkinson's Disease and other movement disorders.
