M Health Fairview neurologists diagnose and treat a wide range of neurological and motor system disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. To diagnose Parkinson’s disease accurately, our physicians conduct a thorough neurological exam and use a variety of brain scans, including CT, MRI, and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), available at the Center for Clinical Imaging Research at the University of Minnesota. SPECT helps our specialists see the difference between Parkinson’s disease and other disorders, including essential tremor.

The University of Minnesota has been named a Udall Center of Excellence in Parkinson’s Disease Research and was awarded a $9.07 million grant over the next five years to improve the lives of patients with Parkinson’s disease.

A multidisciplinary team of physicians, researchers, and engineers, led by Jerrold Vitek, MD, PhD, will focus on the brain circuitry changes that occur in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Vitek and his multidisciplinary team will leverage this understanding to improve deep brain stimulation (DBS) and other therapies to treat Parkinson’s disease.

Our neurologists provide you with comprehensive, compassionate care for Parkinson’s disease. Our Movement Disorders and Epilepsy Surgery Center was created to treat patients with movement disorders and brings together neurosurgeons, neurologists, neuropsychologists, neuroradiologists, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, nutritionists, social workers, and other health care professionals to provide the best care for you.

Our exceptional patient care and leading-edge research in neurological disorders makes us one of the top neurology programs in the United States. We helped to pioneer the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) to control abnormal movement disorders that do not respond well to other treatments. With this therapy, our specialists surgically implant electrodes in your brain and connect them to a pulse generator, a pacemaker-like device in your chest. The device sends electrical pulses to your brain to control your muscle spasms by blocking abnormal signals that cause some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia.

The University of Minnesota’s active DBS program has treated nearly 1,000 patients since it began in 1997. There are several clinical trials available to patients with Parkinson’s disease. Ask your physician if there is one that is right for you.