Parkinson's Institute

Mission

The Parkinson's Institute was started in 1982 when a group of young Bay Area drug addicts appeared in emergency rooms unable to move or speak. Dr. Langston was able to discover that the cause of their disorder was their injection of a drug known as MPTP which produced a condition virtually identical to advanced Parkinson's disease. Gradually, a group of dedicated scientists was assembled to pursue their dream of solving the puzzles of movement disorders. Today, we treat more than 2500 patients each year and conduct extensive research programs. The Institute is the only comprehensive, independent medical research institute in the world dedicated solely to studying movement disorders.

Programs

The Movement Disorders Clinic has five specially trained neurologists and three clinical coordinators to service 2500+ patients each year. All clinicians are involved in medical research projects and publish widely. The Clinical Research team focuses on epidemiological studies and on testing new medications developed for movement disorders. The Basic Research team focuses on biomarkers of disease, molecular biology and genetics, and the mechanisms of neurodegeneration. The Outreach staff is available by phone or e-mail and fields several thousand inquiries each year in addition to publishing a newsletter and presenting educational seminars. Programs are supported by grants, patient fees, special events, corporate, foundation and individual gifts.