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In conjunction with Lockheed Martin Corporation and NIH, doctors at the
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are seeking volunteer
patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who experience "freezing" or
start hesitation to participate in a clinical trial to assess the
effects of a physical device on the motor symptoms of PD.

Volunteers are needed for a clinical trial to test whether a device,
referred to as a Transcutaneous Electrical Movement Timing Stimulator
(TEMTS), improves the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD),
including bradykinesia (slowed movements), akinesia (inability to
initiate movements), rigidity, and tremor.  The TEMTS device was modeled
after a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit, a safe
and commonly used device to treat pain symptoms.  The TEMTS used in this
trial is a lightweight portable battery-operated machine (<2 pounds)
that is inserted into a pouch attached to a belt and worn around the
waist.  The device provides alternating pulses of low-level stimulation
to cutaneous electrodes that are placed on the skin over a given
extremity according to the task performed, e.g., over the forearm and
wrist for typing movements.  The purpose of this clinical trial is to
test the effects of the TEMTS device on quantified measures of motor
initiation, speed, tremor, and tone.

This clinical trial will be limited to patients who experience
disruptive slowness of movement or difficulty initiating movements (also
known as "freezing" or start hesitation).   In addition, participants
must be over age 20 (male or female), have a diagnosis of mild to
moderately severe PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage II-IV), be on a stable
regimen of antiparkinsonian medications, and not experience disabling
memory impairment.   Subjects with a pacemaker or brain-stimulating
device are not eligible for the study.

The study will take place at Johns Hopkins Hospital and will require
about 4 hours of testing.  The testing can take place over two separate
days.  Participants will be provided free parking and compensated $20
for their time and the costs of traveling to Johns Hopkins.  If you are
interested in participating, please contact Melissa Gerstenhaber, R.N.,
M.S.N., Research Nurse Coordinator for the Morris K. Udall Parkinson's
Disease Research Center of Excellence at Johns Hopkins (410-614-1242) or
email her at [log in to unmask]  The principal investigator of this
study is Laura Marsh, M.D..  Lockheed Martin Corporation and the
National Institutes of Health are providing financial support for the
study.

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