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Hi all - The first part of this week found me in Washington (Bethesda, MD). I had been invited by the National Institutes of Health to participate in a study of genetics as related to Parkinson's Disease. They are trying to find, and prove, a relationship between PD and defective or missing genes. Also they are looking for a connection between Parkinson's and heredity. There is some evidence that it may be a common trait in certain families. NIH has decided that ongoing research is called for. Arriving at the appointed time I found the staff to be pleasant and efficient. Within moments they began their examinations. There were all the standard tests for PD; walking, balance, various hand and leg movements, speech, and the dreaded neuro psych routine. The usual questions were asked; any head trauma, sleep problems, toxic material exposure, family history, drug abuse, etc. Then there was the interview with the attending neurologist. She wanted to observe while I walked the corridors, turned around, and stopped. Pretty much the usual stuff. As we neared the end of the tests we watched my pre op / post op video which included a brief interview with Oprah, from December 2001. They thanked me for taking part in this study and arranged for the blood lab to do a draw. Overall it was a good experience. The campus is huge! There are many building spread over a large area. Here are some hints if you ever become involved in an NIH project. First, they provide a van from the airport to their facilities and back. Don't want to wait for it? Taxis are available but are expensive ($50 +). If your trip involves an overnight stay the NIH will make the arrangements with a nearby hotel, many of which offer van service to and from the clinical center. If you have any questions feel free to write directly to me. Jim ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn