Adjust Text Size:
Browse Clinical Trials
Join the Email List
Sign up for our email bulletin
Participant Stories
“I participate because it is the right thing to do, for myself, for my children, and for the millions of people who have Parkinson’s disease. Without participation there will be no cure.” –Mike, Diagnosed 7 years
Recently Diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease?
If you have recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) understanding the disease, and learning about the resources available to you, are good first steps.
Who Funds Research?
Clinical ClinicalDealing with or based on observation and treatment of people, as opposed to basic science carried out in the laboratory or in animals. research is funded by a variety of sponsors. These groups often work together and play an important role in understanding Parkinson’s and developing new treatments for the disease:
Industry
Industry sponsors include pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies.
Government
The U.S. government is the single largest sponsor SponsorOrganizations, medical institutions, foundations, pharmaceutical companies, or federal agencies (e.g. National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and Department of Veteran's Affairs) that fund clinical trials. of Parkinson’s research in the world. Research funded by the government falls under the umbrella of the National Institutes of Health National Institutes of Health (NIH)The National Institutes of Health, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research. Headquartered in Bethesda Maryland, it is composed of 27 Institutes and Centers and provides leadership and financial support to researchers in every state and throughout the world. Internet address: http://www.nih.gov. (NIH). Most PD research is conducted by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)A branch of the National Institutes of Health whose research concentrates on the brain and conditions that result in brain function irregularities. The NINDS funds much of the research on Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's DiseaseA chronic, slowly progressive disease of the nervous system characterized by the combination of tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia and stooped posture, among other symptoms. Internet address: http://www.ninds.nih.gov
(NINDS), one of 27 agencies within the NIH. Other government agencies that sponsor studies of PD are the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.
Research Universities
Studies are also conducted and funded by academic and medical research universities.
The NIH and academic universities fund therapeutic trials although their main emphasis is on genetic, GeneticReferring to a condition that is caused by a person's genes (heredity). environmental and natural history studies Natural History StudiesObservational studies to improve understanding of neurological conditions. Participants continue receiving medical care from their primary care physician, who will order routine laboratory tests and diagnostic tests (X-rays, CT-scans, and nuclear imaging) as necessary. No investigational treatments are administered under this protocol. and research that will help us to understand how to prevent the start or slow the worsening of PD.
