Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders

What is a movement disorder?

Movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease, are a group of neurological conditions characterized by loss of normal movement or the presence of abnormal movement. Although weakness may be a symptom, movement disorders typically result in slowed movement, increased movement, difficulty with smooth, coordinated movement, or involuntary movement.

Care Across the Region

The Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center is located at Albany Medical Center. Learn more about neurology services at Glens Falls Hospital and at Saratoga Hospital. Learn more about Columbia Memorial Health's partner eRiver Neurology of New York.

All providers and locations in the System can be found in Get Care in this section.

Parkinson's Disease

We specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders. These include progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, and drug-induced parkinsonism. Parkinson’s disease is a disease of the nervous system that causes the premature loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain. The dopamine deficiency gives rise to the characteristic symptoms of tremor, slowness, stiffness, and imbalance.

Treatment

Although there is no cure for Parkinson's disease, symptoms usually improve with treatment. Medication has the potential to dramatically improve symptoms by increasing the amount of dopamine in the brain. These medicines are prescribed with care due to potential side effects and variation of dosage needed in individual patients.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure that has transformed the care of patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. Our DBS program is comprised of neurologists and neurosurgeons with extensive training and experience in DBS.

Clinical Research

We have evaluated over 3,000 patients and currently follow over 500 patients on a regular basis. We have been involved in several investigational drug trials over the past 20 years that have included medications for patients with both early and advanced disease. As a result, our patients have had access to the most advanced treatments for their condition, in many cases, years before they have been available to the general public.

Parkinson's Study Group

Albany Medical Center is an active investigative site for the Parkinson's Study Group. 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 pharmaceutical industry.