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Movement disorders are very common, especially in the elderly population. They include a variety of neurological conditions that are generally caused by dysfunction in a region of the brain called the basal ganglia. The most widely known movement disorder is Parkinson's disease, which affects between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 individuals in the United States, with some 20,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
There are two basic categories of movement disorders:
Hypokinetic - These movement disorders exhibit slow movement or a lack of movement. Parkinson's disease is a prime example.
Hyperkinetic - These movement disorders are characterized by excessive movement. This category includes conditions such as tremor, chorea (writhing movements), myoclonus and tics.
Types of Movement Disorders
Parkinson's disease
Essential tremor
Dystonia
Ataxia
Myoclonus
Restless legs syndrome
Atypical parkinsonism (MSA, CBD and PSP)
Huntington's disease
Sydenham's chorea
Tarditive dyskinesia
Tics/Tourette syndrome
Wilson disease
Movement Disorders Center at Lahey Clinic
The Lahey Clinic Movement Disorders Center provides diagnosis, treatment and support to patients with movement disorders.
Our multidisciplinary team involves collaboration among specialists from Lahey's Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Physical and Speech Therapy Departments.
The staff can provide comprehensive care to patients with movement disorders and are trained and experienced in meeting their special needs.
Treatment options include Botox injections, deep brain stimulation surgery, and other surgical interventions, when appropriate.
Neurologist Diana Apetauerova, MD, serves as director of the Movement Disorders Center.
She is actively engaged in movement disorders research
as the principal investigator for Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism studies.
Working closely with Dr. Apetauerova are nurse practitioner Janet W. Zani, MS, APRN, BC,
and neurosurgeon Jeffrey Arle, MD, PhD. Together, Drs. Apetauerova and Arle evaluate and
plan treatments for patients with movement disorders who require surgical therapy.
Movement disorders are very common, especially in the elderly population. They include a variety of neurological conditions that are generally caused by dysfunction in a region of the brain called the basal ganglia. The most widely known movement disorder is Parkinson's disease, which affects between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 individuals in the United States, with some 20,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
