For the past 30 years, researchers at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital Struthers Parkinson’s Center have studied the impact of Parkinson’s disease on more than 1,500 patients. Their findings have helped doctors and rehab specialists here in the Midwest and around the world improve the lives and care of patients with Parkinson’s disease.

In one study, researchers at Struthers Parkinson’s Center teamed up with about 50 other centers worldwide to determine whether the nutritional supplement creatine protects nerve cells in the brain. These cells produce the chemical dopamine, which allows for smooth, coordinated muscle movement. When these nerves die or become impaired, symptoms of Parkinson’s disease result. “We have 40 patients participating in this trial, and it is expected to last about five years,” says Sotirios Parashos, MD, PhD, a neurologist and research chair at the center.

Clinical trials
The center also is involved in clinical trials that are studying the effectiveness of medications, especially those that relate to more advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease. “Sometimes when we treat Parkinson’s disease, we use medications that work well for awhile, then after a number of years, start to work unpredictably or cause involuntary movements,” Dr. Parashos explains. “New medications are being tested to see if we can alleviate some of these treatment complications.”

Study on falls
“Several years ago, we initiated a study to analyze why people fall,” explains Catherine Wielinski, MPH, research director at Struthers Parkinson’s Center. About 50 percent of all people with Parkinson’s have a tendency to fall, which can lead to serious injuries. The fear of falling also prevents some from going out in public, making them socially isolated.

“During the study, we obtained data from 400 participants involving 2,000 falls and have entered this information into a database,” Wielinski says. “We are about to begin our statistical analysis to understand why people with Parkinson’s fall, what types of falls occur most often and if there is a way to determine who is most at risk.” Eventually, researchers plan to use this information to develop falls prevention strategies.

Cognitive concerns
“Besides their movement being slowed, people with Parkinson’s disease report that their cognitive processing is slowed,” Wielinski says. “We have started to look for rehabilitation strategies to help patients improve their thinking and memory. We have studied the cognitive linguistic quick text as an assessment tool of cognition in Parkinson’s disease. We use it to identify areas where people need improvement, such as memory, attention or how they focus on visual and spatial cues. This information can then be used to devise a customized rehabilitation strategy.”

The center has a diverse patient base, attracting participants from the surrounding five states in the upper Midwest. It also participates in a number of multicenter trials, sponsored by national organizations, to collect genetic material from patients with Parkinson’s. “By identifying genetic predispositions and environmental triggers, we hope to develop strategies to prevent the disease in those who are most susceptible,” Dr. Parashos says.

“We are very grateful for all our patients who agree to participate in our studies and clinical drug trials,” Wielinski adds. “We need to conduct many trials before these drugs can get on the market. We use these studies to determine which drugs offer the greatest benefits with lowest potential for side effects.”

The center is always looking for study participants, and you do not have to be our patient to qualify. To learn more, call 952-993-5495, or visit Struthers Parkinson’s Center.