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Date:   Wednesday, November 19, 1997 2:07:28 PM
From:   AOL News
Subj:   Canines Care For Parkinson's Disease Patients; Dogs Help Relieve
Debilitating Sy

    PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Dogs have been helping people with
disabilities lead independent lives for nearly seventy years.  Now, for the
first time, man's best friend is being taught to aid Parkinson's disease
patients whose declining muscle coordination has led to difficulty with
walking, frequent falling and difficulty carrying out other simple tasks.
This pilot program is a joint effort by Independence Dogs, Inc. (IDI), a
non-profit organization, Pennsylvania Hospital, a part of the University of
Pennsylvania Health System, and SmithKline Beecham (NYSE: SBH) to train dogs
in assisting Parkinson's disease patients with severe symptoms that cannot
currently be alleviated by medications alone.
          "As Parkinson's disease progresses, many patients have difficulty wa
lking
which often leads to a compromised quality of life.  Two of the most severe
symptoms that patients typically experience are freezing, a phenomenon by
which patients suddenly halt movement and freeze in place requiring a cue to
continue moving, and loss of balance which causes them to fall frequently,"
said Matthew B. Stern, M.D., director of the Parkinson's disease and Movement
Disorders Center, Pennsylvania Hospital, a part of University of Pennsylvania
Health System.  "By training the dogs to tap a patients' foot with their paw,
we have been able to break the cycle associated with freezing.  The dogs are
also trained to stay by the patient's side so that if they begin to stumble
the patient can use the dog's harness as a crutch to regain balance.  These
dogs have significantly reduced my patients' tendency to fall."
          All dogs involved in this initiative received approximately a year
and a
half of basic training.  As each dog's unique personality and temperament
emerged, he or she was carefully matched with a Parkinson's disease patient.
IDI trainers then spent hundreds of hours training the dogs to meet the
patient's individual needs.  The final training included a three-week session
at IDI with patient and dog.
          These dogs help patients perform everyday tasks including opening
doors,
climbing stairs, retrieving dropped objects, picking up the telephone
receiver
and turning light switches on and off.  They also offer Parkinson's disease
patients the security and companionship often needed to give them the
confidence to get out of the house more frequently.
          One Man's Story
    Russell Moore, a retired dairy worker and father of twelve, has had
Parkinson's disease for almost nine years and despite the best treatments his
condition continues to worsen.  Over the years his activity level declined
significantly and he rarely left his house.  Now with the help of Ivan, his
new canine companion, Russell has regained much of the independence he had
before being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.  In fact, he has reduced his
total number of falls per day by nearly 70 percent (from 30 falls per day to
less than 10).  The two take long walks together, go grocery shopping, go to
the mall and attend church regularly.
          "When a vital, vibrant person is diagnosed with a chronic illness
like
Parkinson's disease, often times they feel like their life has stopped,"
commented M. Jean King, president and founder of Independence Dogs, Inc.
"These dogs provide patients with the support they need to restore their
dignity and help them lead more independent lives."
          The Parkinson's disease patients involved in this initiative have
dramatically improved their motor coordination and have regained their
independence.  SmithKline Beecham, Pennsylvania Hospital and Independence
Dogs, Inc., are continuing this program.  Since these dogs are provided to
people virtually free-of-charge, regardless of their financial status, IDI
relies almost solely on the charitable contributions of outside organizations
like SmithKline Beecham to subsidize training.  IDI graduates are only asked
to make a modest donation towards the cost of their dog's custom-made
harness.
          A Progressive Neurodegenerative Disorder
    Parkinson's disease is an incurable neurological disorder that affects
more than one million Americans including boxing legend Muhammad Ali and U.S.
Attorney General Janet Reno.  The average age of onset is 60, but people as
young as 30 and 40 are also susceptible to this chronic and progressive
disease.  Common symptoms of Parkinson's disease include tremor, rigidity of
the muscles, impaired balance and coordination, and freezing in place.
          Founded in 1984 and based in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania,
Independence Dogs,
Inc., is a non-profit, volunteer-based school that is supported entirely by
donations.  Independence Dogs, Inc. provides fully trained service dogs for
children and adults with mobility impairments such as muscular dystrophy,
Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, polio, cerebral palsy and spinal
cord
injuries.  More than 50 percent of the dogs that enter IDI's training program
have been saved from local shelters and rescue organizations.  For more
information on Independence Dogs, Inc., please call 610-358-2723 or visit IDI
on the World Wide Web at http://www.ndepot.com/idi.
          Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital, was founded in
1751 by
Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond.  The 505-bed acute care facility is
located in Philadelphia's Society Hill Section.  As a major teaching and
research institution which is part of the University of Pennsylvania Health
System, Pennsylvania Hospital offers a full range of medical, surgical and
behavioral health services.  A multidisciplinary approach combines the
expertise of numerous medical and surgical subspecialties to provide
comprehensive, responsive care for all patients.  For more information on
this
initiative, please call Pennsylvania Hospital at 215-829-6688.
          SmithKline Beecham is the maker of Requip(TM) (ropinirole
hydrochloride),
a new dopamine agonist approved for use in early and late stage Parkinson's
disease.  One of the world's leading healthcare companies, SmithKline Beecham
discovers, develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceuticals, vaccines,
over-
the-counter medicines and health-related consumer products, and provides
healthcare services including clinical laboratory testing, disease management
and pharmaceutical benefit management.  For company information, visit
SmithKline Beecham on the World Wide Web at http://www.sb.com or call
1-800-366-8900.
      SOURCE  Independence Dogs Inc.
      CO:  Independence Dogs Inc.; SmithKline Beecham; Pennsylvania Hospital;
     University of Pennsylvania Health System
      ST:  Pennsylvania
      IN:  HEA
      SU:

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