The OHSU Brain Institute is a world leader in care for Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. All the providers in our Parkinson Center & Movement Disorders Program have exceptional expertise. We offer you:

• Specialists who care for patients and lead research to improve treatments and outcomes.
• International experts in Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders.
• National recognition for excellence in Parkinson’s, neurological and neurosurgical care.
• One of the world’s most experienced teams in deep brain stimulation, and one of the few centers to offer “asleep” DBS for your comfort.
• State-of-the-art rehabilitation care.

Learn more

• Understanding Parkinson’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and treatment
• Resources for patients and families
• Other movement disorders
• Deep brain stimulation
• Parkinson’s disease research
• Meet our team

Conditions we treat

• Parkinson’s disease
• Parkinson’s-plus syndromes, such as multiple system atrophy (MSA or Shy-Drager syndrome) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)
• Ataxia
• Blepharospasm
• Dementia with Lewy body disease
• Dystonia
• Essential tremor
• Huntington’s disease
• Myoclonus
• Restless legs syndrome
• Spasticity
• Tics and Tourette syndrome

Expert providers: Our neurologists and neurosurgeons are recognized leaders in movement disorders. They:

• Speak around the world
• Train peers
• Lead research
• Publish extensively

Our excellence

National recognition for care and research:

• The Parkinson’s Foundation has named OHSU a Center of Excellence, recognizing our program as among the 45 best in the world.
• The Lewy Body Dementia Association recognizes OHSU as one of 25 Research Centers of Excellence.
• OHSU is a Huntington’s Disease Society of America Center of Excellence Partners. This designation recognizes our high-quality, team-based care and our commitment to research.

Team-based care

All our providers have expertise in movement disorders. We’ll match you with the specialists best suited to your needs.

Care team: Your team of specialists will work together to recommend the best treatment. A neurology social worker can address concerns about finances, transportation and other issues.

Rehabilitation experts: Our neurologic rehabilitation team offers expert physical, speech and occupational therapy in our state-of-the-art rehab facility.

Help preparing: Our Next Step Clinic brings together specialists to help you and your family when your needs increase. This team can ease symptoms and provide emotional support.

Leading-edge treatment

Expert injections: We offer specialists with the advanced technique needed for precise injections of therapeutic neurotoxin, such as Botox. This treatment can calm overactive muscles in patients with Parkinson’s and movement disorders such as dystonia.

Duopa medication: We offer Duopa, an innovative therapy that can give Parkinson’s patients longer-lasting and more effective relief. Two medications, levodopa and carbidopa, are combined in a gel and delivered into the small intestine through a small tube.

Deep brain stimulation: Dr. Kim Burchiel, an internationally known neurosurgeon, and his team have done more than 1,000 deep brain stimulation surgeries. DBS can treat Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor and dystonia. Dr. Burchiel also pioneered “asleep DBS.” OHSU is among the few medical centers where patients do not have to be awake during DBS surgery.

Research and clinical trials

OHSU scientists have long been at the forefront of research into Parkinson’s disease. Over the years, we have played a role in every major development in Parkinson’s care. Our work includes:

Clinical trials: The OHSU Brain Institute offers clinical trials for patients with varying stages of Parkinson’s disease. We have research happening across many sites, so if you qualify, you may not need to travel to Portland to take part.

Parkinson’s disease: We are conducting research on psychological and physical aspects of Parkinson’s, including:

• How stress affects the progression of the disease.

• Ways to slow the breakdown of dopamine, a brain chemical that plays a central role in Parkinson’s.
• The role of protein buildup, with the goal of developing and testing a new medication.

Balance Disorders Laboratory: Researchers in our Balance Disorders Laboratory are exploring the connection between motor signals and balance to develop rehabilitation approaches.

Improving deep brain stimulation devices: DBS uses open-loop devices, which deliver constant stimulation even if symptoms are absent. We’re exploring a closed-loop device to provide stimulation only as needed.

Learn more about OHSU Parkinson’s disease research