Penn Joins Elite Group as Newest Morris K. Udall Parkinson’s Disease Center of Excellence
Penn was named the newest National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
(NINDS) Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Disease
Research Center of Excellence. Penn joins
an elite group of only 13 other centers nationwide
to earn this distinction.
This crowning achievement
is the result of a partnership between the Parkinson's
Disease and Movement Disorders Center at Pennsylvania
Hospital and the scientists at Penn's
Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research.
The goal of the center is to conduct research to better understand the pathophysiology and clinical consequences of dementia in Parkinson's disease. Non-motor symptoms like dementia are becoming increasingly recognized as a major source of disability for Parkinson's patients.
The new Udall Center is targeting this problem
at all levels. The center's ultimate goal is
to better understand the dementia that sometimes
occurs with Parkinson's disease and to use that
understanding to develop therapies and treatments
to improve the lives of patients and their families.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive
neurological disorder that impairs one's ability
to move easily. PD affects about 750,000 individuals
in the United States. Typically, it strikes middle-aged
and older adults, but can affect younger men
and women. In PD, cells that produce a chemical
called dopamine begin to die. When 70 to 80 percent
of dopamine is lost, one begins to experience
the symptoms of PD.
The most common symptoms are:
- Resting tremor (shaking of a hand or leg)
- Slowness of movement (bradykinesia)
- Stiffness in arms and legs (rigidity)
In addition to these symptoms, up to 75 percent of patients experience mental decline during the course of their illness.
Although there is no cure for PD, Penn specialists are investigating methods and treatments to address the problem via centers, like the new Udall Center, to help manage symptoms and provide treatment options for PD.
For more information or to schedule an appointment,
call 800-789-PENN (7366) or visit the Parkinson's
Disease and Movement Disorders Center at Pennsylvania
Hospital web site .
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