Tag Archives: clinical trials

My Life as a Lab Rat: Getting to the Maze

About a year ago, I mentioned my interest in clinical trials. There are a lot of good reasons to get involved — access to cutting edge treatments, potential to help a lot of people around the world. One challenge I didn’t expect was how hard it would be to get involved in a study. Since I made that post, I’ve applied to be in a variety of studies — including one to look at the effect of magnets on repetitive strain injuries to the wrist and another to study the dosages of birth control pills on overweight women. There are … Continue reading →

Parkinson’s Disease Research

There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease. Medications or surgery can help ease the symptoms, but right now there is nothing that can stop the progression of the disease. That doesn’t mean doctors and scientists aren’t working on finding a cure. Research studies are being done all the time, focusing on new medicines and surgical techniques to ease Parkinson’s disease symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. These studies cannot be done without volunteers. If you have Parkinson’s disease, you may be interested in volunteering for a research study or clinical trial. Not sure if volunteering for a … Continue reading →

About Alzheimer’s Disease: Treatments and Research

No treatment can stop Alzheimer’s disease… yet. After a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, patients live an average of eight to ten years. Some live with the disease for as many as twenty years. In the early and middle stages of Alzheimer’s disease, there are some drugs available to help slow the progression of memory loss. Generic name: tacrine Name brand: Cognex Generic name: donepezil Name brand: Aricept Generic name: rivastigmine Name brand: Exelon Generic name: galantamine Name brand: Reminyl/Razadyne There is a drug to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease, called memantine (name brand: Namenda). The effects of this drug … Continue reading →