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Movement Disorders Program
The fight against Parkinson’s
When his bike was stolen at age 12,
Muhammad Ali didn’t just get mad.
He learned to box.
The rest, as they say, is history: By
Unconventional wisdom
age 18 he had won an Olympic gold
Ali’s specialist at Emory, worldmedal; by 22 he was the heavyweight
renowned neurologist Mahlon
champion of the world. He retired
DeLong, turned the scientific comfrom boxing in 1981 with 56 wins
munity’s understanding of PD upside
(37 by knockout) and only five dedown in the early 1990s when he
feats. Today he’s still fighting. Only
discovered that many symptoms rethis time, his opponent is Parkinson’s
sult from overactive brain cells, not
disease.
underactive ones. His research team
Ali is among more than 5,000
found that low dopamine levels cause
patients treated each year for movea tiny group of brain cells, called the
ment disorders at
subthalamic nucleus,
“Parkinson’s is the fight to become hyperacEmory University,
which has one of
tive, flooding the
of Muhammad’s life.”
the most comprebrain with glutamate,
— Lonnie Ali, Muhammad’s wife
hensive Parkinson’s
a neurotransmitter
disease (PD) centhat’s toxic in large
ters in the world. With studies and
quantities. This discovery has changed
treatments ranging from deep-brain
the way scientists approach PD.
stimulation to Tai Chi, Emory’s center is the only academic movement
disorders program in Atlanta that is
actively participating in clinical trials
n Michael J. Fox has Parkinson’s.
of new treatments.
n Actor Dan Akroyd has Tourette’s
PD is caused by a deficiency of a
syndrome.
chemical called dopamine in the portion of the brain that controls moven “Ataxia” is Greek for “without
ment. This deficiency sets off a neuorder.”
rological chain reaction that creates
n Katharine Hepburn suffered from
PD’s debilitating symptoms, which
essential tremor.
may include tremors, muscle stiffness,
n Musicians are prone to dystonia.
slow movements, balance problems,
slurred speech, pain, and confusion.
Did you know?
©Flip Schulke
“We’re focused on areas that may
have a real payoff in terms of new
drugs and surgeries, and that payoff
could come relatively soon,” explains
DeLong. “Better understanding of the
mechanisms behind a disease gives
you a better understanding of opportunities to improve treatment.”
Putting this theory into practice,
Emory has pioneered new surgical
therapies, including pallidotomy
and deep-brain stimulation. With
deep-brain stimulation, an implanted
electrical device works like a pacemaker, stimulating the brain to function more normally. With pallidotomy, surgeons destroy misfiring cells
with a heated probe guided by precise
measurements of brain activity.
Both techniques reduce symptoms
dramatically.
For patients with advanced PD,
Emory researchers are studying
Spheramine, a tiny capsule loaded
with retinal cells. When implanted
in the brain, these cells trigger dopamine production. Patients in a current
Spheramine study have improved up
to 50% after treatment.
Emory is involved in 30 clinical
trials of new drugs as well as many
clinical and laboratory studies of
Parkinson’s and other movement
disorders, says Stewart Factor, who
directs Emory’s Movement Disorders
Program and is a leading researcher
in the field.
“Parkinson’s disease research
advances are moving at an incredible
“Emory has one of the
leading programs for
Parkinson’s disease
in the world.”
— Allan Levey, Chair, Department of
Neurology, Emory School of Medicine
(which causes repetitive face movements and rapid eye blinking), Emory
also specializes in diagnosing and
treating these movement-related
conditions:
Ataxia: Emory’s Ataxia Center specializes in diagnosis and comprehensive care for patients
with ataxia, a loss of
Emory treats these movement disorders
muscle coordination.
We also partner with
n ataxia n dystonia n gait disorders n Huntington’s
other centers nadisease n Parkinson’s disease n tardive dyskinesia
tionwide to develop
n Tourette’s syndrome n tremor
clinical databases
and offer trials that
may
lead
to
new
therapies.
pace—in therapeutics, genetics, the
Dystonia: While plastic surgeons use
role of environment, and surgery,”
botulinum toxin (Botox) to relax
he says. “Advances made in
frown lines, Emory specialists are
Parkinson’s disease will impact other
neurological areas as well. They’re all studying whether it can reduce muscle
spasms caused by dystonia. Dystonia
interconnected.”
involves involuntary and sometimes
With a start-up grant from the
painful muscle spasms that can affect
Michael J. Fox Foundation, Factor is
exploring a possible link between Par- the arms, legs, neck, trunk, eyelids,
face, and vocal cords.
kinson’s and smoking, caffeine, and
Huntington’s disease: Emory’s Huntingnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
ton’s Disease Center of Excellence, the
(NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. Populafirst in the nation, is a leader in treattion studies have shown a lower inciing this genetic disorder, which causes
dence of the disease among smokers
involuntary movements, cognitive difand users of caffeine and NSAIDs.
ficulties, and psychological problems.
Factor hopes his study will determine
Emory’s center offers diagnosis and
whether those substances, along with
patient care, predictive genetic testing,
genetic factors, affect the progression
and research into medications that
of the disease in Parkinson’s patients.
might slow the disease’s progression.
Treating movement disorders
Tremor: Emory researchers have begun
Parkinson’s patients aren’t the only
family studies, looking for a genetic
ones receiving care for movement
link to tremor and examining clinidisorders here. In addition to gait dis- cal aspects of the disease. Tremor can
orders (difficulty walking), Tourette’s
affect the hands, head, face, vocal
syndrome, and tardive dyskinesia
cords, trunk, and legs.
How you can help
Plant a seed: A gift of “seed money” can help develop a promising
new idea to the point where major
funding sources like the National
Institutes of Health will provide
millions more dollars in support.
Endow a chair: A gift to sponsor
a chair helps attract the world’s
best researchers and ensure they
have the resources needed to do
their work.
Fund a fellowship: Fellowship
gifts support talented postdoctoral
researchers as they find new ways
to diagnose and treat movement
disorders.
Volunteer for a clinical trial:
Trials require large numbers of
patients wanting state-of-theart care and the chance to help
improve diagnosis and treatment
for everyone. Ask your doctor
how to volunteer.
For more details, contact:
Suzanne Baker
Director of Development
Department of Neurology
[email protected]
404-728-6300
Emory neurology is a
fact sheet series published by the
Department of Neurology.
4/24/06
10.2006