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Here is the latest issue of the Parkinson's Clinical Research Newsletter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ October 2009 www.PDtrials.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Greetings! Thank you for signing up to receive the PDtrials Parkinson's Clinical Research Newsletter. 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 [[log in to unmask]] if you would like more information about this effort. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Clinical Trials Using Heavy Water to Study Cell Dynamics in Parkinson's Disease This pilot study, enrolling a total of 30 participants, will assess the feasibility of using heavy water as a safe 'tracer' for biomarker studies of diseases of the brain and spinal cord, that, together, are also called the central nervous system. Heavy water is the same as normal drinking water except the hydrogen atoms have been replaced by deuterium, a naturally occurring isotope of hydrogen. If this method can be used to establish the rates of immune cell turnover and the production rates of neuronal molecules using cerebrospinal fluid, it will provide unique data that is important to understand chronic neurodegenerative conditions, like PD, and to measure responses to targeted therapies. Learn more: http://www.pdtrials.org/en/browse/all/view/267 A Study of Folic Acid and L-Methylfolate in Parkinson's Disease This study is being conducted to assess the impact of folate and L-methylfolate on the progression of PD. The investigators are specifically looking for the effect of these nutritional supplements in people with Parkinson's who have an antibody that effects their body's utilization of folate. Folate is an important vitamin that takes part in many critical cell functions so an antibody that prevented it from entering the brain properly could cause or worsen certain neurological disorders like Parkinson's. The investigators will also be looking at the blood of some individuals who do not have Parkinson's, and will be enrolling a total of 260 participants. Learn more: http://www.pdtrials.org/en/browse/all/view/262 Medication Plus Psychotherapy for Anxiety, Worry or Stress in Older Adults, Including Those with Parkinson's Almost one in ten older Americans experiences worry or anxiety that interferes with day-to-day activities or getting to sleep. These problems are more common than depression, Alzheimer's disease, or other dementias in older adults. This study examines whether adding a type of psychotherapy called cognitive behavioral therapy to the antidepressant medication escitalopram (Lexapro) can help older adults with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) get better and stay well. People with PD may be eligible for this study, which is enrolling 60 participants, along with their caregivers and other people who do not have PD. Learn more: http://www.pdtrials.org/en/browse/all/view/266 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gaucher Disease Linked to Parkinson's People who carry the gene for a rare genetic problem known as Gaucher disease have at least five times the normal risk of developing PD, researchers reported today in the New England Journal of Medicine. Some clinicians had noticed an apparent link between the two conditions in the past, but a new international study of nearly 5,700 people is the first to show the magnitude of the risk. The finding suggests that the gene is one cause of the disease, but indicates that other factors must be operating as well because not all patients who have Gaucher also develop Parkinson's. Read on: http://www.pdtrials.org/en/clinical_research_news/release/pr_1256222315 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forty People with Parkinson's Graduate from PDF's Research Advocacy Training Program Last week, more than forty people living with PD from across the US participated in the Parkinson's Disease Foundation's (PDF) Second Clinical Research Learning Institute. Held in Florham Park, New Jersey, the novel three-day program prepares participants to be part of the clinical research process - the stage of treatment development that brings new, and much-needed, therapies for Parkinson's from "bench to bedside." Read on: http://www.pdtrials.org/en/clinical_research_news/release/pr_1256222253 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Body's Own Antioxidant May Slow Parkinson's Decline, Study Says Researchers Higher concentrations of a natural antioxidant in the body may slow the progression of PD in patients with early stages of the illness, a study from Harvard researchers found. Those in the study with the highest amounts of antioxidant urate in their blood were 36 percent less likely to need treatment within two years for early Parkinson's symptoms than those with the lowest levels, research online today in the Archives of Neurology showed. Read on: http://www.pdtrials.org/en/clinical_research_news/release/pr_1255532122 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Parkinson's For Macaque monkeys that received gene therapy for symptoms of PD saw a significant improvement in their motor function without the side effects associated with current standard therapy, researchers say. Simultaneous insertion of three genes allowed certain cells in the brain to take over production of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Too-low levels of dopamine cause the hallmark motor-control symptoms of Parkinson's. Read on: http://www.pdtrials.org/en/clinical_research_news/release/pr_1256046932 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Door Opens to Health Claims Tied to Agent Orange Under rules to be proposed this week, the Department of Veterans Affairs plans to add PD, ischemic heart disease and hairy-cell leukemia to the growing list of illnesses presumed to have been caused by Agent Orange, the toxic defoliant used widely in Vietnam. Read on: http://www.pdtrials.org/en/clinical_research_news/release/pr_1256046815 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Using Music to Ease Patient Stress During Surgery For as long as humans have pounded drums and plucked strings, listening to music has affected people's sense of well-being, lifting their spirits and - as new research shows - calming their nerves. Literally. According to a study at Cleveland Clinic, music can slow the neuronal firings deep within the brain during surgery designed to treat Parkinson's patients. Read on: http://www.pdtrials.org/en/clinical_research_news/release/pr_1256047112 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Drivers With Parkinson's Disease At Higher Risk Of Crashes In Low Visibility Drivers with mild to moderate PD may be at higher risk of crashes on foggy days and other times of low visibility. The research, involving a driving simulation test, is published in the October 6, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. In addition to affecting movement, PD affects visual skills, such as the ability to see contrast, and the speed of processing what is seen. Read on: http://www.pdtrials.org/en/clinical_research_news/release/pr_1254837983 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have You Participated in a Parkinson's Clinical Study? Join the Partners in Progress Honor Roll Today! If you have participated in a Parkinson's clinical study, we'd like to recognize your very personal commitment to help move Parkinson's clinical research forward by providing you with a PDtrials baseball cap as a token of our thanks and adding you to our Partners in Progress Honor Roll. Take a look at our Honor Roll of participants here: http://www.pdtrials.org/en/partners_in_progress and if you would like to be included, contact us [mailto:[log in to unmask]] today! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PDtrials is Now on Facebook...Join our Network Today! PDtrials has launched a page on Facebook -- the world's most widely-used social networking website. Visit our new page to preview events hosted by PDtrials and our partners, view photos of our Partners in Progress Honor Roll, and join discussions about clinical research for Parkinson's. Visit us on Facebook and become a Fan! In This Issue New Clinical Trials Gaucher Disease Linked to Parkinson's 40 People with Parkinson's Graduate from PDF's Research Advocacy Training Program Body's Own Antioxidant May Slow Parkinson's Decline, Study Says Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Parkinson's Door Opens to Health Claims Tied to Agent Orange Using Music to Ease Patient Stress During Surgery Drivers With Parkinson's Disease At Higher Risk Of Crashes In Low Visibility ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PDtrials is led by Parkinson's Disease In collaboration with: APDA FOX National Parkinson Foundation Parkinson's Action Network Parkinson Alliance We Move PDtrials is advised by: National Institutes Of Health The Parkinson's Institute Parkinson Pipeline Project ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (c) 2009 PDtrials. 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