Parkinson’s Disease Treatment

Tremor is a symptom of both Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor, a movement disorder that often causes hand tremors. Essential tremor is about eight times more common than Parkinson’s disease.

While they may appear similar, essential tremor and Parkinson’s differ in several important ways:

• Parkinson’s tremors generally start around age 60 and initially affect one side of the body. Essential tremor often appears in adolescence or middle age (between ages 40 to 50) and tends to initially affect both sides of the body.
• Parkinson’s disease tremor usually occurs at rest. Essential tremor typically occurs during movement. 
• Essential tremor appears to be more closely related to genetic causes than Parkinson’s disease. 
• Over time, Parkinson’s disease affects the legs, jaw and other body parts, causing stiff muscles, slow movement, trouble balancing and stooped posture. Essential tremor typically involves the upper half of the body only; the hands, head and voice.
• Parkinson's tremor is often characterized by a “pill-rolling” — a circular movement of the tips of the index finger and thumb.

Although there is no specific test to diagnose Parkinson’s disease, our New Jersey-based Parkinson’s specialists will review your symptoms and medical history, perform a physical exam, and may conduct additional tests, such as:

• Blood or urine samples: Checks for markers of neurological disorders.
• Dopamine transport uptake assessment (DaT): A Parkinson’s neurologist measures the level of dopamine in a specific part of the brain using state-of-the-art imaging.
• Electromyography (EMG): Measures the electrical impulses of your muscles and nerves and how they work together.
• Imaging tests: A Parkinson’s disease specialist uses computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look for neurological abnormalities.
• Neurophysiological exam: A Parkinson’s doctor uses visual, electrical and other types of stimulation to detect neurological abnormalities.
• Neuropsychological exam: Assesses your memory, attention, language and other cognitive skills.

Treatments for Parkinson’s Disease in New Jersey

While there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, our New Jersey-based neurological specialists and neurosurgeons continue to pioneer new advances to provide you with access to the latest surgical and nonsurgical treatments and therapies for Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, essential tremors and other movement disorders. 

Non-Surgical Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease in New Jersey

• Chemodenervation uses Botox injections to block nerve signals to your muscles, reducing the degree of abnormal movement.
• Dietary therapy. Our neurological specialists collaborate with registered dietitians to design a dietary plan to provide optimal nutrition while maximizing the effectiveness of your medications and managing other symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing.
• Medication, such as dopamine substitutes, anti-seizure, and blood pressure medications can also relieve symptoms of movement disorders.

Surgical Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease in New Jersey

• Deep brain stimulation (DBS) may be recommended for patients with symptoms that are not well controlled by medication. It works by implanting a small device in your brain that uses electrical stimulation to prevent nerve signals from causing abnormal movement. 
• Focused Ultrasound (FUS), a minimally invasive alternative to deep-brain stimulation for patients with essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease tremor that has not responded to medications.Hackensack University Medical Center is the only medical center in New Jersey, and one of just a few in the nation, to use this technique, also known as high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), to treat brain tissue that is the source of the tremor. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 551-996-5588 or email FUS@hmhn.org.
• Stereotactic pallidotomy may be an option for patients who can’t undergo deep-brain stimulation for Parkinson’s or other movement disorders. It uses radiofrequency ablation to create a small lesion in the part of the brain responsible for movement control. 
• Stereotactic thalamotomy to treat essential tremor or tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease. This procedure creates lesions that stop or reduce tremors using Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery technology. 
• MRI-guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) uses a minimally invasive robotically controlled laser thermal therapy to ablate unwanted tissue in the brain where a tremor originates, without harming surrounding healthy brain tissue.