Home > Movement Disorders Research

The University of Florida Movement Disorders Center (UFMDC) investigates treatments for and causes of Parkinson’s Disease, tremor, dystonia, Huntington’s Disease and other disorders. The multidisciplinary
approach at the UFMDC brings together top researchers from multiple fields.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Drs. Foote and Okun implant Deep Brain Stimulators that can change the rates and patterns of activity in one of many targets including the thalamus, subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus, internal capsule, nucleus accumbens, and other
regions. The UFMDC is exploring the cognitive, behavioral, and mood effects of brain stimulation and researching the use of Deep Brain Stimulation to treat patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Details on our DBS research…

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials look into the safety and efficacy of a drug in improving symptoms or slowing/stopping/reversing
the progression of a disease. Most drugs tested in clinical trials are not yet available in drug stores while some studies involve medications that are already available. Neuroprotective drugs may provide great benefit to those with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders.

Details on Clinical Trials…

Quantifying Deficits of Movement Disorders

With permission from patients, the UFMDC tracks the progress of their treatment measured with several scales covering motor and non-motor areas. That information is entered into a central database that is used to find patterns in the
data and find patients that meet certain criteria for studies.

Details on our Quantifying Deficits database…

Behavior and Emotion

The Bowers Lab is a multidisciplinary cognitive neuroscience research laboratory involved in the study of cognitive and affective behaviors in humans and the neural systems that underlie them. Participants include patients with epilepsy, focal resections and strokes, and Parkinson’s disease.

Details on our Behavior and Emotion Research…

Gene Transfer

The UFMDC is investigating two different strategies to alleviate behavioral deficits in rat models of Parkinson’s disease.  Dr. Mandel and his lab are pursuing both direct intrastriatal transmitter replacement (L-dopa delivery) and neurotrophic support strategies (GDNF delivery) in the unilateral 6-OHDA lesion model of PD using recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAV).

Details on Gene Transfer Research…

FGATIR – Fast Gray Matter Acquisition T1 Inversion Recovery

We have recently developed and employed a Fast Gray Matter Acquisition T1 Inversion Recovery (FGATIR) 3T MRI sequence to more reliably visualize the basal ganglia structures targeted for deep brain stimulation.

Details on the FGATIR scan…

3D Brain Atlas

Researchers at the University of Florida’s Department of Neurosurgery and the Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Biology Lab have developed a three-dimensional atlas of the brain structures targeted in movement disorders surgeries. Basal ganglia structures such as subthalamic nucleus(STN), globus pallidus interna (GPi), and ventralis intermedius nucleus (Vim) are primary targets for deep brain stimulation surgeries and lesion surgeries.

Details on the UF 3D Brain Atlas…

Speech and Swallow

Current research on Parkinson’s disease is focused on examining the speech production characteristics of the dysarthria associated with Parkinson’s disease as well as the breathing and swallow dysfunction those with Parkinson’s disease exhibit. In addition, our research team is interested in determining how those characteristics are altered with traditional medications as well as more innovative rehabilitation options such as deep brain stimulation.