Functional disorders

Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders

Parkinson's Disease (Parkinson Disease or PD) is a brain disorder that affects the nerve cells in area the of the brain called substantial nigra. Damage to this part of the brain affects the production of dopamine. When 80% of the dopamine-producing cells are damaged, the symptoms of Parkinson disease appear.

Parkinson's disease affects over 1.5 million Americans with 60,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. This disease affects men and women equally. Conditions related to this disease typically develope after the age of sixty. Around 15% are diagnosed under the age of fifty.

Some of the symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease are

Tremor
Slow movement
Stiffness
Balacing problems
Small, cramped handwriting
Stiff facial expressions
Shuffling walk
Muffled speech
Depression

Treatment options for Parkinson's Disease are drug therapy, deep brain stimualtion, fetal call transplantation and surgery. Gamma Knife Surgery is sometimes used in treating Parkinson's Disease. Please consult with your Physician to see whether this type of non-invasive surgery may be applicable to your condition.

Contact Florida Hospital Gamma Knife Center

Call 407-303-2724 or toll free 1-800-241-1089.