Nov 7, 2017
Clinical trials – research studies that involve people – are key to medical advances. But sometimes it is hard to recruit and enroll enough participants to make the results meaningful. It is important for people with Parkinson’s disease to participate in clinical trials to help researchers find better ways to treat, and hopefully slow down or even stop, Parkinson’s. Some trials are short, lasting only a few weeks, while some can take years, but all trials aim to produce results that will lead to better lives. Christine Hunter, a nurse and Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence coordinator at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, describes the value of volunteering for clinical trials and how participants view their experiences.