Melita Petrossian, MD

About Dr. Melita Petrossian

Dr. Melita Petrossian is a fellowship-trained neurologist and movement disorders specialist and is the Director of the Pacific Movement Disorders Center located at Providence Saint John’s Health Center and Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance.

Dr. Petrossian’s clinical interests and expertise are in movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), tremor including essential tremor, dystonia, gait disorders, ataxia, myoclonus, blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, Meige syndrome, spasticity, tics and Tourette’s syndrome. She also specializes in Parkinson’s-related conditions such as Dementia with Lewy Bodies, progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, corticobasal degeneration, primary freezing of gait, and Parkinson’s Disease Dementia.

Dr. Petrossian’s focus is on a multidisciplinary approach to these movement disorders, including appropriate diagnosis utilizing the latest imaging techniques such as MRI, PET and DaTscan, optimization of medical treatment, and chemodenervation using botulinum toxin injections (e.g., Botox). In coordination with physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and other specialists as necessary she treats motor and non-motor symptoms of PD and other movement disorders. Dr. Petrossian provides assessments for candidates for deep brain stimulation surgery for PD, essential tremor and dystonia, guides patients through the pre- and post-operative period, and creates a custom-tailored program of deep brain stimulation settings.

A native of southern California, Dr. Petrossian graduated from UCLA, summa cum laude, and received her medical education at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She completed her neurology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, affiliated with Harvard Medical School in Boston, followed by fellowship in movement disorders at the same institutions. She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and Movement Disorders Society (MDS).

Medical Specialties

• Parkinson’s Disease
• Dystonia
• Parkinson’s Disease Dementia
• Dementia with Lewy Bodies

A Month for Essential Tremor

• Neuro Conditions – Movement
• Essential Tremor

Essential tremor is the most common movement disorder affecting more than 7 million Americans. Find out more this March, essential tremor mo…

Be Aware of Dystonia in September

• Inside PNI
• Dystonia

Pacific Movement Disorders Center is focused on dystonia awareness this month. Take an in-depth tour of this group of neurological disorders…

Brain Matters: Just Keep Moving!

• Neuro Conditions – Movement
• Exercise, Parkinson's Disease

Patients with Parkinson’s disease which affects movement and balance and can cause tremor, often wonder, “Is my mind going to be affected?…

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