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Important news from PDTrials.org ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- July 2007 • Clinical Trial Information for the Parkinson's Community www.pdtrials.org In This Issue New Clinical Trials Exposure to Enviromental Toxics Accelerates Age-Related Development of PD in Mice Study Identifies Two Brain Networks Involved in Parkinson's Disease Study Finds Smoking Associated with Lower Risk of Parkinson's Disease Depression Often Untreated in Parkinson's Disease Patients People With Early Parkinson's Report Hallucinations, Sleepiness Help Inform Others About Clinical Trials! Greetings! Thank you for signing up to receive the PDtrials Bulletin. 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. New Clinical Trials A Study of the Efficacy of Pramipexole Taken Twice a Day in People with Early Parkinson's Disease - The purpose of this study is to see how well low doses of pramipexole (Mirapex) work for people with early PD when these low doses are taken two times per day. This study will also look at how pramipexole affects mood, thinking, impulse control, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and nighttime sleep. Learn more Study of Chronic Autonomic Nervous System Failure - This study will conduct tests in people with primary chronic autonomic failure (CAF) to learn more about these disorders, which include pure autonomic failure (malfunction of the autonomic nervous system), multiple system atrophy, PD with autonomic failure, and autoimmune autonomic neuropathy. Healthy volunteers and people with primary CAF who are 18 or older may be eligible for this study. Learn more Improve Speech Using an In-the-Ear Device in Parkinson's Disease - Speech problems are common in people with PD. Speech symptoms have generally not responded to medication or surgery like other non- speech motor symptoms do. This study will examine the therapeutic effect of altered auditory feedback provided by the in-the-ear device on the speech impairments in Parkinson's. Learn more Chinese Exercise, Qi Gong, for Parkinson Fall Prevention - People with PD have twice the risk of falls as their age matched peers. Exercise can improve postural stability (balance) and decrease risk of falls. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effects of Qi Gong (Chinese exercise) on balance and fall prevention for individuals with PD. Learn more View All Clinical Trials Exposure to Enviromental Toxics Accelerates Age-Related Development of PD in Mice Scientists at the Buck Institute for Age Research have shown that combining two environmental toxic substances accelerated age-related degeneration in neurons associated with PD in mice. This study highlights the role of environmental factors in the development of PD.Read more Study Identifies Two Brain Networks Involved in Parkinson's Disease Besides causing tremors, rigidity and slowed movements, PD also targets another brain network that regulates cognitive thought and the ability to carry out everyday tasks. David Eidelberg, M.D., head of the Center for Neurosciences at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, and his colleagues measured and quantified this network of brain regions during a five year study of newly diagnosed PD patients. This is the first longitudinal study of PD using a brain scan to follow these Parkinson's networks over time.Read more Study Finds Smoking Associated with Lower Risk of Parkinson's Disease There is more evidence to back up a long-standing theory that smokers are less likely to develop PD than people who do not use tobacco products, researchers recently reported. The apparent protective effect of tobacco against the degenerative nerve disease has been observed for years but a University of California Los Angeles School of Public Health report said a new review of existing studies seems to confirm it, with long-term and current smokers at the lowest risk.Read more Depression Often Untreated in Parkinson's Disease Patients While depression appears to be common in early PD, it is often not treated or diagnosed, according to newly released research. A contingent of researchers from across North America found that just over 27 per cent of PD subjects screened positive for depression, while 40 per cent of subjects' depression went untreated. This study is the first to systematically examine the impact of depressive symptoms in early, untreated PD.Read more People With Early Parkinson's Report Hallucinations, Sleepiness People with early PD report a higher than anticipated development or worsening of hallucinations, sleepiness, and swelling. Researchers have identified factors that make people more likely to develop these problems, according to a study published in the July 10, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.Read more 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? Just click on the "Send" button located on the top left of this page and enter the email addresses of friends, family, support group members, and others who you think would like to learn more about clinical studies. see: www.pdtrials.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn