Parkinson’s spectrum disorders encompass a set of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the abnormal accumulation of proteins, including tau and α-synuclein. While these disorders differ in their clinical and pathological features, they share important characteristics, including parkinsonian symptoms, cognitive and behavioral decline, and involvement of specific circuits in the brain. In contrast to Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, Parkinson’s spectrum disorders have received limited interest from funding agencies and are often challenging to correctly diagnose. There is, as a result, a dire need to study these disorders using a multidisciplinary effort rarely implemented in research or clinical practice.
The UCSF Parkinson’s Spectrum Disorders Center is an integrated and highly collaborative neurodegenerative disorders group that spearheads international research on Parkinson’s spectrum disorders leading to improved diagnosis, novel therapeutic interventions, and the training of a new generation of researchers. The clinical and research programs at the center offer the highest level of care and treatment advances to patients with parkinsonian disorders.
The Memory and Aging Center (MAC)
The MAC, led by Dr. Bruce Miller, is an internationally recognized center for the study of progressive supranuclear palsy, frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, as well as prion and atypical parkinsonian disorders.
The Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation Center (MDNC)
UCSF’s movement disorders clinical programs led by Dr. Jill Ostrem, offer outstanding clinical care for patients with Parkinson’s spectrum disorders including progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, dementia with Lewy bodies and corticobasal syndrome.
The Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (IND)
Dr. Stanley Prusiner founded the IND to create effective therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Parkinson’s spectrum disorders and dementia resulting from traumatic brain injuries.