AHN Cahouet Center for Comprehensive Parkinson's Care

Start here: The New Patient Symposium

If you've been recently diagnosed, knowing where to begin can feel overwhelming. That's why we created the New Patient Symposium — a welcoming, half-day program designed to give you clarity, confidence, and connection from the very start. Understanding the early signs of Parkinson's and getting a prompt diagnosis can feel like a lot to process, and this symposium is here to support you.

Join us on your own, or bring a care partner. During the symposium, you'll get:

• A Parkinson's 101 education session.
• Baseline physical and speech therapy screenings.
• A movement therapy class.
• Access to support groups and community resources.
• Time to connect with others navigating similar experiences.

If you're newly diagnosed and interested in attending the next New Patient Symposium, talk to your AHN Parkinson's specialist. If you're not an AHN patient, call us at 412-359-5019 to learn more.

It's more than an introduction — it's a starting point for your care and your path forward, aimed at supporting your journey and managing Parkinson's progression.

A whole-person approach to Parkinson's care

Parkinson's affects more than movement. It can impact how you speak, think, feel, and live day to day.

That's why your care at the Cahouet Center goes beyond clinical treatment. We focus on the full picture — so you can continue doing the things that matter most to you and work toward maximizing Parkinson's recovery in terms of function and quality of life.

Your care may include:

• Expert neurological care and advanced treatment options.
• Physical, occupational, and speech therapy tailored to Parkinson's.
• Movement-based therapies, like yoga and dance.
• Emotional and mental health support.
• Help navigating everyday challenges, from meals, to transportation, to pet care.

Every recommendation is made with the goal of helping you live as fully and independently as possible, even as we address Parkinson’s progression.

Getting treatment with AHN

After a thorough evaluation, we create a personalized care plan that fits your symptoms and needs. As your condition or goals change, we adjust your treatment plan to make sure it continues to support your health and quality of life.

Treatment options include:

• Medication: Your physician will determine which medications and dosages are best for you, based on your symptoms and challenges.
• Physical therapy: Targeted exercises and activities can improve movement, strength, and balance. Our caring physical therapists design a personalized plan to support your daily function and overall health.
• Speech and swallowing therapy: Specially trained speech therapists help you improve communication, cognition, and swallowing skills, making daily activities easier.
• Occupational therapy: Occupational therapists teach strategies and provide tools to help you stay independent in daily activities such as dressing, cooking, and writing.
• Botulinum toxin injections: These treatments can reduce muscle stiffness, spasms, drooling, or abnormal movements caused by conditions like dystonia or tremor.
• Surgery: Neurosurgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation may be an option. Our specialists have performed hundreds of these innovative procedures, which involve placing electrodes in the brain to help regulate movement.
• Integrative and holistic care: We also offer supportive therapies — such as nutrition counseling, exercise classes, stress management, and support groups — to address the whole person, not just the disease, and support your journey toward Parkinson's recovery.
• Innovative support options: AHN uses LSVT BIG® and LSVT LOUD® therapies to support balance, mobility, and speech.

AHN Cahouet Center for Comprehensive Parkinson's Care specialists

The AHN Integrative Neurosciences Program includes a one-stop Integrative Neurology Clinic at Allegheny General Hospital for patients newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, especially those experiencing the early signs of Parkinson's. At the clinic, patients can see all of their providers and specialists, from nurse navigators and therapists to dietitians and neuropsychologists, in one location. Patients also have access to our community wellness program, which includes:

• Support groups
• Caregiver wellness programs
• Educational seminars
• Movement and dance classes

All of which are designed to support individuals through Parkinson's progression and help them achieve the best possible Parkinson's recovery.

Schedule your appointment today

If you are a new AHN patient and would like to make an appointment or learn more about the AHN Cahouet Center for Comprehensive Parkinson's care, please call 412-359-5019. If you are an existing patient and live in the Pittsburgh area, please call 412-359-8850. If you live in the Erie area, please call 814-452-7575.

What to expect at your new patient visit

When you receive care at the AHN Neuroscience Institute and our comprehensive spine, you’re working with board-certified neurologists, neurosurgeons, and pain management physicians who can deliver highly specialized treatments using the latest, most advanced technologies. We encourage you to sign up for AHN MyChart access where you can complete some new patient paperwork and questionnaires through MyChart web portal or MyChart smartphone app.

Plan to arrive at the check in desk about 30 minutes prior to the start of your appointment. That provide enough time for the necessary intake information. Even if you use the e-Check in through MyChart, we ask that you arrive at a check in desk 15 minutes before the start of your appointment to make sure we have your appropriate information.

What to take to your first visit

We recommend that you bring a trusted friend or family member to attend any appointment, but we do not recommend taking young children who cannot be left unattended in the waiting rooms. There are also certain items and paperwork you’ll want to have with you, so our office staff and healthcare team have your necessary information.

Required identification and payment

In order to process your information and start your appointment on time, please bring:

• Insurance cards
• Photo ID
• Copay (no cash accepted)

Medical information and records

Please bring copies of previous medical records, including office visit notes, lab work, hospital stay summaries, and radiology reports from outside health organizations. You’ll also want to have a complete list of medications and supplements, including dosing amounts.

For worker’s compensation or auto claim purposes, please have: date of injury, claim number, billing address, name and phone number of claims adjuster.

Imaging studies (if applicable)

If you have had imaging studies done at outside of Allegheny Health Network imaging locations, you will need to:

• Contact the imaging facility and request a physical disc with the imaging and Radiologist report.
• Some sites will require a few days to a week’s notice before you can pick up the disc.
• If you do not have copies of imaging, your initial evaluation will be incomplete, and we may need to schedule additional appointments.

Personal items and equipment (if applicable)

If you will require any personal items or medical equipment — walker, cane, wheelchair, oxygen — that will make your post-procedure care easier, please bring that with you.

Clinical trials and research

Clinical trials are crucial in advancing treatment for Parkinson's disease. When appropriate, your AHN care team will connect you with the available clinical trial or research that could improved management or quality of life.

What is a clinical trial?

Clinical trials are studies that try to answer questions about new ways to treat conditions with medications, radiation, or surgical techniques. Previous trials have shown how new methods of treatment improve survival and quality of life.

You participate in a clinical trial only if you volunteer to do so and meet criteria for inclusion in the study, and you can stop participating in a trial at any time.

Who can join a clinical trial?

The plan for the trial, called a protocol, explains what the trial will do and how the study will be done. Based on the questions the research is trying to answer, each clinical trial protocol outlines specific criteria necessary to be eligible to join the trial.

Common criteria for entering a trial are:

• Having a certain condition.
• Having received a certain kind of therapy in the past.
• Being in a certain age group.
• Federal rules help ensure that clinical trials are run in an ethical manner, with your rights and safety protected. It’s to ensure that you’re not put at increased risk by participating in the trial, and that the results of the study are accurate and meaningful.

Currently active clinical trials

Participating in these trials gives AHN patients special access to some of the newest potential treatment options for Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders. Participation in clinical trials is based on meeting eligibility criteria.

PDGENE-PF: Parkinson's Foundation PD GENEration Genetic Registry

The purpose of this study is to develop a central repository for Parkinson's disease-related genomic data by individuals who consent to deposit their data and bank their residual DNA obtained through clinical genetic testing for future research use. Learn more.

A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Intravenous (IV) Prasinezumab in Participants With Early-Stage Parkinson's Disease (PARAISO)

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of prasinezumab compared with placebo in participants with early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) on stable symptomatic monotherapy with levodopa. Learn more.

If you would like to participate in a clinical trial and help our innovative team discover groundbreaking health solutions, ask your doctor if you’re eligible to participate in one. Find currently active clinical trials that are open for participation.

Refer your patient to AHN Neurology

If you have a patient that you would like to refer to AHN Neurology, call 412-359-8850. Please fax pertinent records to 412-359-6617.

For more information about referring your patient to an AHN specialist, read the Independent Physician Referral FAQs.