Doctor examining a patient

Our Center

Why Pacific Movement Disorders Center?

The Pacific Movement Disorders Center’s philosophy of caring for the whole person is an integral part of our strong commitment to individualized and holistic patient care. Our approach is focused on safety, comfort and quality of life improvement.

We provide our patients with highly specialized care to establish an accurate diagnosis, individualize medical treatment plans, and deliver functional neurosurgical treatment when appropriate.

State Of The Art Movement Disorders Diagnostic Technology

For patients who are facing a possible diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, we offer diagnostic certainty with the DaTscan, a leading-edge technology which measures levels of the dopamine transporter in the brain. Patients with Parkinson’s diseaseessential tremor and dystonia may be candidates for deep brain stimulation (DBS) or other advanced treatment approaches. For most patients, DBS surgery can be performed using an advanced frameless approach. The system employs a custom-made mini frame that improves patients comfort during surgery and reduces the time required for the surgery therefore optimizing recovery.

In addition, we provide SYN one testing for the assessment of phos-alpha-synuclein in the dermal nerves. This is a minimally invasive way to evaluate for synucleinopathies such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, multiple system atrophy, pure autonomic failure, and REM sleep behavior disorder.

Experienced Movement Disorders Specialists

Medical Director, Melita Petrossian, MD, a fellowship-trained neurologist completed her neurology training and her sub-specialization in movement disorders at Harvard Medical School.

Director of Restorative Neurosurgery, Jean-Philippe Langevin, MD, a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon completed his neurosurgery training and his sub-specialization in DBS surgery at University of California, Los Angeles.

Natalie Diaz, MD, is an expert movement disorders neurological specialist seeing patients at Little Company of Mary.

Nurse Practitioner, Giselle Tamula, MSN, NP-C, has a distinguished nursing career working across several clinical disciplines.

With several years of experience in the evaluation and the treatment of movement disorders patients, our specialists ensure the highest level of care with a patient-centered approach. They offer a comprehensive opinion and a personalized recommendation for each patient, and when indicated, provide DBS as the best therapeutic strategy. Our multidisciplinary approach includes coordination with physical, occupational, and speech therapists, as well as neuropsychologists to meet the specific needs of each patient.

Contact Us

The Pacific Movement Disorders Center has two locations:

Providence Saint John’s Health Center
1301 20th St, #150
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310-582-7433  |  fax 310-315-4069

Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance
5215 Torrance Blvd, #300
Torrance, CA 90503
424-212-5361  |  fax 310-316-3466