Forwarding from:
Devon <?xml:namespace prefix = ns0 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Berkshire
PDtrials Coordinator
www.pdtrials.org
Parkinson's Disease Foundation
1359 Broadway, Suite 1509
New York, NY 10018
1-800-457-6676, ext. 7682
Fax: 212-923-4778<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Visit www.PDtrials.org for regular updates on Parkinson's clinical trials.
 
Parkinson's Clinical Research Newsletter, (Plain text version)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 April 2009
 www.PDtrials.org  
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 Greetings!
 Thank you for signing up to receive the PDtrials Parkinson's Clinical Research Newsletter.
This regular email newsletter provides you with information on Parkinson's disease
(PD) clinical trials that are actively looking for participants, as well as news
 on Parkinson's research and treatments.
PDtrials is a collaborative initiative of Parkinson's organizations and is dedicated
to increasing awareness and education about Parkinson's clinical trials. Please 
contact us if you would like more information about this
effort.
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New Clinical Trials
 A Study of People with Possible Risk Factors for Developing PD
 This study will test whether individuals with risk factors for PD have abnormal 
values for biomarkers (objective features that can be used to measure the progress
of a disease) that indicate loss of particular nerve cells in the brain and heart,
and whether at-risk individuals with positive biomarkers develop PD within up to
 7.5 years of follow-up. This study is looking for 220 participants who do not have
PD to be enrolled at the National Institutes of Health. 
Learn more. http://www.pdtrials.org/en/browse/all/1/view/253 
Cognitive Behavior Therapy for the Treatment of Depression in Parkinson's Disease
The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of a form of talk therapy called
cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) in the treatment of major depression in individuals
with PD. Previous research leads the investigators to believe that this type of 
therapy may help people with PD cope with their depression. 
Learn More. http://www.pdtrials.org/en/browse/all/1/view/252 
 
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Fish Oil Protects Against Diseases Like Parkinson's
 
Dr. Nicolas Bazan, Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Boyd Professor,
and Ernest C. and Yvette C. Villere Chair of Retinal Degenerative Diseases Research
at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, will present new research findings showing
that an omega three fatty acid in the diet protects brain cells by preventing the
misfolding of a protein resulting from a gene mutation in neurodegenerative diseases
like PD and Huntington's.
Continue http://www.pdtrials.org/en/clinical_research_news/release/pr_1240326812 
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 Parkinson's Partially Linked to Pesticides
 UCLA researchers have provided strong new evidence linking at least some cases of
PD exposure to pesticides. Researchers have suspected for some time that pesticides
may cause the neurodegenerative disorder, and experiments in animals have shown 
that the chemicals, particularly the fungicide maneb and the herbicide paraquat,
 can cause Parkinson-like symptoms in animals. But proving it in humans has been
 difficult because of problems in assessing exposure to the agents.
Continue http://www.pdtrials.org/en/clinical_research_news/release/pr_1240326342 
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 Genes Show Limited Value in Predicting Diseases
 The era of personal genomic medicine may have to wait. The genetic analysis of common
disease is turning out to be a lot more complex than expected. Since the human genome
was decoded in 2003, researchers have been developing a powerful method for comparing
the genomes of patients and healthy people, with the hope of pinpointing the DNA
 changes responsible for common diseases. This method, called a genomewide association
study, has proved technically successful despite many skeptics' initial doubts. 
But it has been disappointing in that the kind of genetic variation it detects has
turned out to explain surprisingly little of the genetic links to most diseases.
Continue http://www.pdtrials.org/en/clinical_research_news/release/pr_1240326618 
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 Parkinson's Meds May Trigger Extreme Behavior
 About one in five patients taking a therapeutic dose of a dopamine agonist, a class
of drugs used to treat patients with PD, may develop compulsive gambling or hypersexuality,
according to a study of patients treated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Continue http://www.pdtrials.org/en/clinical_research_news/release/pr_1240326501 
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 Stanford Scientists Make Advances in Parkinson's Research
 New developments in PD research at Stanford could lead to treatments that are more
effective and easier on patients, the university announced Thursday. An estimated
1.5 million Americans suffer from PD, a brain disorder that usually causes tremors.
Doctors often treat PD symptoms using deep-brain stimulation - electrodes implanted
in the brain give pulses of electricity - though they were unsure exactly why those
pulses seemed to help patients. In a new study, associate professor Dr. Karl Deisseroth
and graduate students Viviana Gradinaru and Murtaza Mogri say they believe they've
identified the specific part of the brain that's affected by that electrical stimulation.
Continue http://www.pdtrials.org/en/clinical_research_news/release/pr_1238423620 
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Imaging Technique May Trace Development of Parkinson's Disease
 
While finding a biomarker for Parkinson's disease that would let physicians screen
for or track its progression remains an elusive goal, a team led by a University
 of Illinois at Chicago neuroscientist has shown that a non-invasive brain scanning
technique offers promise.
Continue http://www.pdtrials.org/en/clinical_research_news/release/pr_1238423439 
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 CISCRP to Host AWARE for All Clinical Research Day in Baltimore
 CISCRP (The Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation)
 regularly hosts these educational programs, which are held in metropolitan areas
and are free and open to the public. They include thank you receptions for local
 clinical research participants, informational workshops with renowned physicians
and researchers, health screenings and additional educational resources. The next
AWARE for All event will be held in Baltimore, MD on Saturday, May 9th, 2009. Learn
More. http://www.ciscrp.org/programs/aware/baltimore/index.html 
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 Tell Us Your Story!
 At times, we receive correspondence from people living with Parkinson's about their
clinical trial experience, and these stories are often featured in the Participant
Testimonials section of PDtrials.org. If you have participated in a clinical trial for PD we'd
love to hear from you. Sharing your story provides insight into the clinical trial
experience that only you can offer. Please email us at [log in to unmask] 
to contribute your testimonial.
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Help Inform Others About Clinical Trials!
 
Do you find the information in this email bulletin and on PDtrials.org to be a helpful
resource? If so, won't you take a moment and send this email bulletin to others?
 
 
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PDtrials is led by
 
Parkinson's Disease Foundation 
In collaboration with:
APDA 
FOX 
National Parkinson Foundation 
Parkinson's Action Network 
The Parkinson Alliance 
We Move 
 
PDtrials is advised by:
National Institutes Of Health 
The Parkinson's Institute 
Parkinson Pipeline Project 

 

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