Movement Disorders

Research

All Mayo Clinic locations — Arizona, Florida and Minnesota — are leaders in various aspects of research related to finding causes and treatment for movement disorders.

Research at Mayo Clinic in Arizona

The Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center in Arizona develops research protocols that establish important information about the nature of movement disorders and treatment. Studies include:

• Experimental drug trials
• Genetic factors in movement disorders
• Physiology and abnormal movements and Parkinson's disease
• Use of botulinum toxin
• Surgical treatment of movement disorders

Learn more about research at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

Research at Mayo Clinic in Florida

Familial Parkinsonism

At Mayo Clinic in Florida, physicians study families with multiple members affected by parkinsonism or other movement disorders. Research includes clinical investigations (examination of patients for research purposes), genealogical studies, molecular genetic analysis and DNA banking.

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Cortical Basal Ganglionic Degeneration

Researchers study patients with these conditions and bank (store) DNA samples for future study.

Dystonia

Physicians study families with focal movement disorders (blepharospasm, torticollis, oromandibular dystonia, spasmodic dysphonia and leg dystonia) and segmental movement disorders (combinations of blepharospasm, oromandibular dystonia, torticollis and other forms) and conduct genetic analysis to find the genes responsible for these disorders.

Brain Bank Registry

This registry tracks patients with neurological disease and people without (as controls) for eventual brain autopsy at time of death. Brain autopsy is sometimes the only way to confirm the diagnosis of a neurological condition.

Learn more about research at Mayo Clinic in Florida.

Research at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota

The Movement Disorders Group in Minnesota is actively involved in Parkinson's disease research. Several large studies are under way.

Additional studies are continuously under way for a wide range of movement disorders and all members of the group are involved in research. Eligibility for such studies can best be addressed at a patient's clinical appointment.

Mayo Publications

See a list of publications by Mayo Clinic doctors on movement disorders on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.