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| Movement Disorders |
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Patient Population
Movement disorders (MD) include Parkinson's Disease (PD), Huntington's
Disease, Tourette's Syndrome, tremor and dystonia. Patients are referred
to the MD clinic for investigation and management from throughout Canada
and across the world. More than 3,500 patients were evaluated in the
Toronto Western Hospital Movement Disorders Clinic in the past year
and 40 patients underwent neurosurgical procedures for movement disorders.
Education
The MD program is involved in educational activities at every level
for undergraduate medical students, postgraduate and post doctoral scientists,
residents at all levels of training and postgraduate clinical/research
fellows. In addition, the MD program provides education for all of the
allied health professions.
Three subspecialty nurses dedicated to MD teach patients and families
about their disorders and interact with lay organizations. Post-graduate
fellows throughout the world seek out the MD program for subspecialty
training in medical and surgical MD. International physicians visit this
centre to gain insight and experience from the MD neurology unit and/or
the MD neurosurgical program, both of which have international reputations
for excellence.
Research
The Toronto Western Hospital Movement Disorders Program has an international
reputation for its research and productivity, with numerous publications
in the worlds' leading journals.
MD research activities include:
- Clinical Studies documenting poorly recognized/undescribed disorders
- Evaluation
of functional neurosurgical treatments for PD and other movement
disorders
- Studies investigating mechanisms of neurodegeneration and
neuroregeneration using animal models of Parkinson's disease
- Neurophysiological
studies of mechanisms of action of deep brain stimulating electrodes;
transcranial magnetic stimulation in PD, dystonia and other
MD; neurophysiological characteristics of MD
- Neuroimaging studies
in MD including SPECT in PD, fMRI in MD patients with deep brain
stimulation and PET in surgical MD patients
- Neuropathology studies
of MD including clinical-pathological correlative studies, neuropathological
hallmarks of corticobasal degeneration and
surgical interventions
- Neuropsychology studies evaluating effects
of surgical interventions and neuropsychological disturbances accompanying
MDs
- Pharmacological trials encompassing a variety of therapeutic
agents in PD and other MDs including botulinum toxin treatment
of tics and dystonia
- Genetic and molecular biological studies such
as work with the Parkinson Study group and University of Indiana
evaluating siblings with PD and
studies of synuclein molecular biology and animal models of PD at
CRND
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