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From: Boca Raton Sun-Sentinel Oct 26. 2002 Boca is chosen as database site for Parkinson's By Glenn Singer Health Writer "Boca Raton · Neurologist Stuart Isaacson knows the pain, discomfort, fear and agony patients with Parkinson's disease experience. He sees scores of them in his practice. But looking for similarities in their cases, trying to find good candidates for clinical drug trials and comparing his findings to what doctors elsewhere are reporting has been difficult, if not impossible. Those obstacles started to crumble on Friday, when Isaacson's office became the newest site for a database called the AliProject, named after former professional boxer Muhammad Ali. The database was created to link Parkinson's centers around the country and help gather, store and share information... "The information from a center that sees even 1,000 Parkinson's patients is nothing compared to the data that can be generated from centers that collectively treat 100,000 or 200,000 people," Isaacson said. The database, created at the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center in Phoenix, Ariz., came to Isaacson's office thanks to a $16,000 grant from a local advocacy and support group, Take Charge! Cure Parkinson's Inc. Much of the money came from patients and families of patients afflicted with the disease. Isaacson invited several group members to his office on Friday to observe the Arizona Center's manager, Lynn Finck, demonstrate the new system, which its designers hope will help researchers find a cure for the disease. "In many ways, it's a designed disease. It affects everyone differently," said Micki Brooks of Delray Beach, whose husband had Parkinson's and died a year ago. Parkinson's is a slowly progressive, chronic neurological condition that affects a small area of cells in the mid brain. Gradual degeneration of these cells caused a reduction of a vital chemical, dopamine. Parkinson's can cause tremors on one side of the body, generalized slowness of movement, stiffness of the limbs and balance problems. Some people experience tremors so severe they cannot sit or walk. Patients can be treated with medication -- sometimes as many as three in combination -- and some undergo brain surgery to help control the disease. Until recently, there had been no central database to collect and share patient information, which is made available anonymously to health professionals on the network. The potential for such a system is enormous, the Ali Center's Finck said. For example, she said, not only do doctors get a streamlined system to monitor their own patients, but they can search for similarities in patients elsewhere. For Alison Landes, who formed the Take Charge! group, the Boca site offers encouragement to members that researchers will gain insight into the disease. Take Charge! Cure Parkinson's Inc. can be reached by calling 561-620-1907. Its Web site is www.cureparkinsons.com Glenn Singer can be reached at [log in to unmask] or 561-243-6612." http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-rxali26oct26,0,76 16367.story?coll=sfla-news-sfla NOTE: Alison wrote: <<Please note that our website and phone number in the article is incorrect. I've left a message for the reporter and expect that they will print a correction. The website address is www.cureparkinsons.org and our telephone number is 561.620.1970. Our website is not current and we hope to bring it up to date shortly.>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn