Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center
The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona is recognized as a center of excellence in the clinical treatment and advanced research of Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders.
We are dedicated to pushing the frontiers of science in the fundamental understanding of Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders such as dystonia, essential tremor and Huntington's disease. As such, we have a team of neurological experts who are committed to providing knowledgeable, thorough and considerate care.
We are unique in integrating state of the art patient care and counseling with pharmacologic clinical trials and basic research into the cause of movement disorders.
A clinical trial is a study of the safety and efficacy of a new drug or other treatment that is designed to answer questions about the drugs while safeguarding the health of the volunteer. A clinical trial may also involve testing of human subjects to aid in a better understanding of underlying disease processes.
Experienced staff conducts these types of studies. Over the years, researchers at the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center have conducted more than 50 phase II through phase IV studies in Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders.
There are many excellent reasons to participate in a research clinical trial. It allows you access to promising drugs that may not be available commercially for serveral years. During the course of the trial, you will experience the comprehensive and thorough medical evaluation and attention that research enables. Your research physician is dedicated to better understanding you and your response in a cooperative data gathering mode that is the foundation of medical research.
You will, as a result of the process, learn a great deal about your condition and the range of options that are available to treat your condition. The entire process is of no cost to you and there is the added benefit of contributing individually to a better understanding of movement disorders in general that will benefit others.
The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center has a wide variety of leading edge clinical trials. Each will be discussed in turn and will focus on the objectives of the study and the requirements of the participants.
NET-PD LS-1 Creatine in Parkinson’s Disease - NET-PD is a large NIH-sponsored effort to find drugs that slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. Recruitment is currently underway for a study of the nutritional supplement creatine in more than 1700 participants.
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Psychosis in Parkinson’s - It focuses on Psychosis in Parkinson’s disease and will be enrolling patients experiencing hallucinations and delusions. Psychosis is perhaps the most difficult Parkinson’s disease symptom to treat and can occur in 20 to 40% of patients in the advanced stages of the disease.
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Over the past several years, there has been renewed interest in a familial (genetic) basis for PD. That is why the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center is participating in the following genetic studies:
GENE PD STUDY - GenePD is a research study funded by the National Institutes of Neurological Disease and Stroke. The purpose is to determine if there may be a genetic cause or basis for some cases of Parkinson's disease. With this information, we hope to gain a better understanding of what causes PD and eventually learn better ways to treat it, prevent it and, perhaps, cure it.
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The Brain Bank is a research program that is being done in collaboration with Sun Health Research Institute and the Mayo Clinic. In an effort to learn more about PD, we are currently enrolling individuals with PD who are willing to donate their brains to science upon their death.
There is no charge to enroll, all individuals will undergo yearly assessments of motor and cognitive function, and upon death a brain autopsy report will be provided to their family and doctors at no charge. A Sun Health Research Institute scientist will then proceed with neuropathologic and neurochemical studies for the brain looking for answers to many of the questions that surround the causes and improved treatment of PD. Contact 602-406-4208.
If you are interested in learning more about any of our investigations, please call our clinical trials office at 602-406-6335 or email us at: info@maprc.com
