Dr. Zoltan Mari heads up Nevada Movement Disorders Program
One of our city’s newest resident medical specialists, Dr. Zoltan Mari is the section head of the Nevada Movement Disorders Program and Lee Pascal Parkinson’s Disease Scholar at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Here, he talks about the other major work at the going on in the fight against Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders.
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Movement disorders are an increasingly recognized subspecialty within neurology focusing on diseases and conditions that involve abnormal, involuntary or poorly controlled movements. While these diseases are most recognized through abnormal movements, they are so much more than just impaired motor control.
Some of the more recognized movement disorders include Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and dystonia. Parkinson’s stands out for its profound public health impact as it affects up to 1 million Americans.
While we have yet to find a cure for Parkinson’s and other movement disorders, world-renowned institutes, including Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, lead the way in excellent clinical care and scientific discovery.
Having spent more than two decades as a medical scientist and movement disorders expert, I am thrilled to join the elite staff at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health as the new section head of the Nevada Movement Disorders Program and Lee Pascal Parkinson’s Disease Scholar.
I truly believe that the possibilities here are endless and that in this exceptional environment, my colleagues and I are at the right place and time to make major contributions in the area of Parkinson’s and movement disorders.
Building on the momentum of this esteemed movement disorders program, I have identified three areas to focus on first in my new role. They include disease-modifying clinical trials, deep brain stimulation and other advanced treatments and remote care delivery.
For Parkinson’s, one of the most common and most disabling movement disorders, there are still are no cures or disease-modifying therapies, which represents one of our era’s top research priorities. While the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is already an internationally renowned research institute and clinical trial site, I plan to expand our clinical trials program further by adding in a number of high-impact Parkinson’s trials, especially relating to the above two research priorities.
Another exciting area of interest for me is deep brain stimulation. Through enhanced collaboration between Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, other Nevada care partners and Cleveland Clinic main campus, I am developing a clinical pathway for our patients to have the option to receive their DBS implants using state-of-the-art technology on main campus, while receiving all care before and after the procedure at Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
DBS is an advanced surgical procedure used to treat the disabling symptoms of certain movement disorders and is recommended for those who have severe symptoms that cannot be optimally treated with medications. DBS uses a surgically implanted, battery-operated medical device called a neurostimulator to deliver electrical stimulation to targeted areas of the brain that control movement and block the abnormal nerve signals that cause symptoms.
Lastly, I plan on focusing on our movement disorder remote care program. Combining technology, such as remote sensors and wearables that monitor a patient’s motor functions during daily activity, with education and care by family members, I envision a collaborative effort that could improve quality of life through in-home care, while reducing nursing home placement and hospital visits.
Remote care is particularly helpful when geographical barriers limit access to the clinic and can also be appropriate where clinical care and clinical research projects are combined. I am confident that I can continue the development and success of the Lou Ruvo Center’s growing remote care program for Parkinson’s and other movement disorders.
The work being done by the movement disorders program is remarkable and I am excited to see further momentum we will gain as we continue on our quest to provide outstanding patient care while advancing critical medical research, as well as education. Those interested in learning more about Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health movement disorders program or to make an appointment with a member of the movement disorders team can call 702-483-6000.
