What Is Parkinson's Disease?
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive movement disorder of the nervous system that primarily affects movement. It can also cause problems with thinking, mood and changes in sleep. The disease is caused by progressive deterioration of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain.
When functioning normally, neurons produce a variety of brain chemicals that allow communication between different cells. In PD, neurons that produce dopamine are slowly lost. As a result, these cells do not work as well and people have trouble performing fine motor tasks. Also, they can develop involuntary movements, like tremors, or muscle stiffness.
Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease
A neurologist will diagnose PD based on a careful assessment of symptoms, a complete medical history, and a thorough neurological and physical examination. Diagnosing PD is based on specific findings of a neurological examination. In some cases, advanced imaging techniques like MRI scans or dopamine imaging scans can be helpful in making the diagnosis by ruling out other disorders.
Treatment at Penn
The Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center (PD&MDC), located at Pennsylvania Hospital, provides comprehensive care to patients with PD and other parkinsonian syndromes.
The PD&MDC has more than 30 years of experience in the diagnosis and management of Parkinson's disease. The needs of both patients and their families are the highest priority when delivering care. Our approach is to manage PD using a combination of gold standard interventions and the newest discoveries from scientific literature and innovative research. All of our physicians and nurse practitioners practice evidence-based care.
It's our goal to educate patients and their families about PD, because it's critical to achieve an improved quality of life. Many clinical research studies, including observational clinical trials and new medication trials, are coordinated at PD&MDC and are available to all of our patients.
Treatment options available for PD include:
Deep brain stimulation
Drug treatment
Individualized treatment plans
Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Psychiatric and neuropsychology services
Social services
Speech therapy
Support for caregivers
The Dan Aaron Parkinson Rehabilitation Center
In collaboration with the PD&MDC the Dan Aaron Parkinson Rehabilitation Center (DAPRC) provides comprehensive rehabilitation services to patients with PD and other movement disorders. Established in 2000, the DAPRC was the first center of its kind in the Philadelphia region and is still a model of care for other rehabilitation facilities.
The DAPRC offers patients:
Comprehensive physical, occupational and speech therapy
Participation in rehabilitation research projects
Weekly exercise groups for patients
Yearly rehabilitation conferences for patients and care partners
Penn Programs & Services for Parkinson's Disease
Our movement disorders program provides evaluation, diagnosis and treatment for the full spectrum of movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and Tourette syndrome.
Penn's Center for Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery provides treatments for all types of movement disorders.
Penn’s neurorehabilitation program provides inpatient and outpatient services that restore patients to a maximum level of cognitive and physical function.